In Cleveland, the Orlando Magic turned things around with a historic playoff victory against the Cavaliers.
Paolo Banchero led with 31 points and 14 rebounds, while Jalen Suggs contributed 24 points, securing a dominant 121-83 win on Thursday. This cut the Cavaliers’ series lead to 2-1.
Franz Wagner added 16 points and eight assists for the Magic, who enjoyed their largest playoff victory margin ever. It marked their first playoff win since 2020 and their first at home since April 26, 2011.
They aim to even the series with another win at home on Saturday.
Banchero, with zero turnovers in 29 minutes, emphasized the need to maintain their performance for the next game. Meanwhile, Jarrett Allen led the Cavaliers with 15 points and eight rebounds, but they struggled with shooting, managing only 39% from the field and 23.5% from 3-point range.
The Cavaliers faced their worst playoff defeat, surpassing a 36-point loss to Washington in 2008. Despite the setback, Donovan Mitchell stressed the importance of staying focused, recognizing that the margin of defeat didn’t change the fact that it was just one win for the Magic.
