In a match in which the stakes suddenly took a back seat in view of the many absent players, it was Cleveland who did the best by winning for the second time in a row on the floor of the Floridians.
After a complicated start (42-33), the Cavs rectified the situation in the second quarter, attacking the period with a 12-0 to get back in the game. Robin Lopez and Dean Wade’s dunks brought JB Bickerstaff’s troops back to action before snipers Cedi Osman, Isaiah Mobley, Lamar Stevens and Danny Green caught fire behind the arc to give themselves a 10-point lead at the break (57-67).
Accompanied by Ricky Rubio, Cedi Osman hit the nail on the head as soon as he returned from the locker room with three 3-point missiles to relegate Orlando to 22 lengths (63-85). Despite a timid reaction from Jalen Suggs, the Magic were unable to reverse the trend. Danny Green took care of his exit with two more 3-pointers late in the third quarter (73-95), and Cleveland then headed for its 20th success of the season away (94-118 ).
WHAT YOU MUST REMEMBER
– The stars on the bench to thank the fans. The timing was not exceptional for the “Fan Appreciation Night” dedicated to Orlando fans who, we can say, have been struggling quite a bit for ten years now. To thank them, the Magic therefore offered them a match without stakes, and without stars!
In total, Darius Garland, Donovan Mitchell, Caris Levert, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen on one side, and Markelle Fultz, Gary Harris, Franz Wagner, Paolo Banchero and Wendell Carter Jr on the other went from active to injured in the space of two days. It’s really bad luck ! If the situation can be understood for Cleveland, guaranteed to finish fourth, it is less the case for Orlando, especially on this occasion.
– Danny Green is going green again. About eleven months ago, Danny Green found himself on the ground with a rupture of two knee ligaments to be treated. While many were already considering the end of his career, the shooting guard did not deserve it and got back to work. Passed by Memphis then arrived in Cleveland, he was finally rewarded for his efforts last night by reaching 21 points with a very nice 5/9 from 3-pointers to accompany his 3 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 steals. A full match that will perhaps encourage JB Bickerstaff to find him a real role to play in the playoffs, while Danny Green had not played since mid-March.
TOPS/FLOPS
✅ The Cleveland shooters. Basketball is above all a sport of skill and when your shooters take their shots, it still makes the work of the whole team much easier. The Cleveland snipers demonstrated this tonight by continuously widening the gap with long shots. Along with Danny Green (5/9), Cedi Osman (4/6) and Isaiah Mobley were the main successful gunners on the night.
✅ Jalen Suggs. The particular situation had to offer the opportunity to others to take their responsibilities. The sophomore thus seized his chance by taking advantage of the occasion to exceed the bar of 20 points, which is rare enough to be underlined.
⛔ Moritz Wagner. A disappointing performance for the interior who finished at 3/11 in shooting and 3 lost balls.
THE FOLLOWING
Orlando (34-46) : the Magic still have two games to play, in Brooklyn on Friday (1:30 a.m.) then in Miami on Sunday (7 p.m.).
Cleveland (51-30) : the Cavs will finish at home this Sunday against Charlotte (7 p.m.).
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How to read the stats? Min = Minutes; Shots = Shots made / Shots attempted; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; O = offensive rebound; D= defensive rebound; T = Total Bounces; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost bullets; Ct: Counters; +/- = Point differential when the player is on the field; Points = Points; Eval: player evaluation calculated from positive actions – negative actions.
