On Friday night, in primetime TV with the whole world watching, the Magic came in clutch vs. the Cavaliers. They beat the Cavs 103-96 behind a trio of 20+ point performances from Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner, and Jalen Suggs. Their victory tied up the series at three games all and forced the decisive game 7 for all the marbles. Who is going to step up and seize the opportunity to advance to the second round? Here is your Cavaliers vs. Magic game 7 preview.
For All the Marbles: Cavaliers vs. Magic Game 7 Preview
The Series So Far
The series started with a clear Cleveland advantage. They won both of the first two games to go up on a 2-0 lead. Top star Donovan Mitchell was looking like the new LeBron James, scoring 22+ points in both games including an extremely impressive 30-point performance in Game 1. Jarrett Allen was a rebounding machine with 18 rebounds in game 1 and 20 rebounds in game 2. After Game 2, it looked like the series was over. The Magic looked dysfunctional and unprepared and the Cavaliers looked like a well-oiled machine.
However, that didn’t last, the Magic took the games 3 and 4 to even up the series at two all. They won both games convincingly, with an average victory margin of 30.5 points. Young Magic stars Banchero and Wagner took turns leading the team with 30+ point and 10+ rebound performances. The Cavs looked sluggish and out of it. Top star Mitchell had double poor performances, scoring under 20 points on low efficiency for both games. However, the Cavs were able to gut out a clutch 104-103 Game 5 win to go up 3-2 with a chance to close out the series in Game 6.
The Magic needed a big performance to stay alive and they got it. Banchero put up 27 points and 8 rebounds to clutch out the win and force the decisive winner-take-all Game 7. It was an amazing display of skill from a young player poised to break out into a superstar. That’s the road so far.
Cavaliers vs. Magic Game 7
Now, the series is at three games apiece and it’s come down to the pivotal Game 7 in Cleveland. The game and series hinge on offense. Both teams are top 10 ranked defenses by OPP PTS/G and defensive rating. However, both teams are bottom-10 on offense by PTS/G and offensive rating. Both teams are stacked with defensive-minded players with limited offensive skill sets. It all is going to come down to which team’s offensive stars can pull out the most production.
Cleveland’s Mitchell seems the obvious bet. Mitchell is averaging by far the most PPG of any player in this, both in this series specifically and over the season as a whole. He is the consensus best offensive player on either team. Mitchell is averaging 26 points on the series including an absurd 50-point outburst in Game 6. However, beyond him, Cleveland isn’t very deep on the offensive side. No other player besides Mitchell is averaging over 20 PPG. Notably, Mitchell scored all 18 of Cleveland’s points in the 4th quarter of Game 6.
On the other side, Orlando doesn’t have any one player who can match Mitchell’s offensive output. However, Banchero-Wagner is a 1-2 punch that Cleveland doesn’t have an answer for. Cleveland’s number two option, Darius Garland is a very good player, averaging 18.0 PPG this season. However, he isn’t a match for either Banchero or Wagner and Orlando’s size has been challenging for Garland to overcome throughout the series. Furthermore, the Magic are generally deeper on the offensive side than Cleveland is.
In general, this series has been the theory of the top guy vs. the theory of depth. The Cavaliers have the better top guy, while the Magic have the better depth. Since the Cavs’ offense is so all-in on him, Game 7, and by extension, the series hinges on Mitchell. If he can go supernova and score 50 again like he did in Game 6, it will be very difficult for the Magic to beat the Cavaliers. If he goes cold like he did in games 3 and 4 and scores under 20 points again, it will be very difficult for the Cavaliers to win.
Last Word on Cavaliers vs. Magic
It has been a very exciting series for fans so far. It has featured gutsy performances on both offense and defense from both teams. Most games have been close with players coming up big in the clutch to secure victory. It has been arguably the best first-round series of the playoffs this year. As a neutral fan, I really hope that can continue in Game 7 and I believe it will. Both teams are evenly matched and have a very good shot at winning and advancing. No matter what happens, it’s sure to be a rollercoaster with big moments galore.
