CLEVELAND — The final score to Game 1 says otherwise, but the Orlando Magic really can win their first-round playoff matchup against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
This series is there for the taking, despite the Magic’s 97-83 loss Saturday afternoon.
But to do it, they’ll have to remain who they are on one end and also suddenly morph into something they are not on the other.
That welcome, and worrisome, reality hit home about one hour after the fourth-quarter buzzer sounded and the Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse loudspeakers started blaring the song “Cleveland Rocks.” Asked why he feels optimistic about the Magic’s chances, All-Star forward Paolo Banchero chuckled for a split-second, looked down at the box score on the table in front of him and said, “That we shot 32 (percent) from the field, 21 from 3 and 60 from the line, and it still wasn’t ever over until the last two minutes.”
In their franchise’s first playoff game in four years, with most players on the roster making their postseason debuts, Banchero and his teammates were everything their rivals throughout the league thought they were heading into this postseason: They were an elite defensive team but also a below-average offense that desperately needs more shot making and playmaking.
The stats on the box score were every bit as yucky as Banchero indicated, and then some, including an 8-for-37 performance from behind the arc and a 19-for-30 afternoon from the free-throw line. The Magic scored just 15 points in the second quarter and only 17 in the third quarter.
Cleveland, a top-notch defensive team, deserves credit for making things tough for Orlando. The Cavaliers clogged the paint and, in the event any Magic player closed in on the hoop, had center Jarrett Allen and forward Evan Mobley patrolling nearby to swat shots away.
Paolo Banchero on his game 1 performance 👇 pic.twitter.com/a3z8N1xfZ0
— Orlando Magic (@OrlandoMagic) April 20, 2024
Still, Saturday revealed the Magic’s inherent weaknesses. They defied outsiders’ expectations during the regular season and signaled they are on an upward trajectory. But they made those gains in spite of their offensive shortcomings. They finished the season 22nd leaguewide in offensive rating even though they had the benefit of forcing an inordinate number of misses on the defensive end. They ranked 24th in 3-point shooting percentage, making just 31 percent of their treys.
The young nucleus, which includes Banchero, Franz Wagner and Cole Anthony, ought to improve as long-range shooters in time. Point guard Jalen Suggs, for instance, offers a roadmap for improvement: He made a massive leap this season, hitting almost 40 percent of his 3s. For now, though, the promise of future growth should provide little solace. There is a playoff series to play.
Magic players liked their attempts Saturday for the most part. They just misfired on all too many of them. At one point early in the third quarter, they were shooting 2 for 17 from beyond the arc, and those two makes had come from bigs Jonathan Isaac and Wendell Carter Jr.
“It’s the first game,” Carter said. “We don’t want to overreact to anything. The first game on the road, we got to see what kind of game they want to play. I think we’re good. I thought we did really good defensively. I think offensively we struggled. Holding a team under 100 is always a good defensive outing.”
Jamahl Mosley, the Magic coach who almost always presents an even keel, win or lose, said his team’s slow start set the tone for the entire game. The issue for his young team, he said, had nothing to do with playoff physicality or a lack of poise. He did, however, seem to want his players to be more decisive when they received the ball on the perimeter and had space to elevate for shots.
“Cleveland does a great job of packing the paint in,” Mosley said. “They do a great job of flying at shots. But a big portion of this is us continuing to be willing to step into those shots with confidence, which our team will continue to do.”
Mosley was pleased with his players’ defensive effort.
Donovan Mitchell torched Orlando, scoring 30 points, but he sometimes had to make tremendous plays. In the game’s opening minute, he sank a pull-up trey from the left wing just over Banchero’s outstretched left arm. A couple of minutes later, with less than two seconds remaining on the shot clock, in an incredible display of skill, he hoisted a prayer over both Wagner and Gary Harris and swished it.
Mitchell’s brilliance only underscored what the Magic lack: shot making and a creator who can break opponents down off the dribble without the aid of a pick-and-roll.
Despite 24 points, Banchero missed four of his eight free throws and turned the ball over nine times. Suggs faltered to a 4-for-16 night from the field. Harris missed all six of his shot attempts. Anthony missed all seven of his.
“Obviously, we need to hit shots to win this series,” Wagner said. “But I’m confident we’ll make them next game.”
It’s difficult to imagine the Magic faring any worse, and that’s a reason for them to be optimistic.
Inside a quiet visitors locker room after the game, Moe Wagner was asked if the Magic had learned any lesson. Wagner, who had gone 2 for 4 from the line, chuckled for a second. “A lesson?” he said, a smile crossing his face as if the answer should have been obvious. “Make your free throws.”
For the Magic, it really may be that simple. They just need to shoot better.
It also really may be that difficult, for the exact same reason. They just need to shoot better.
“There’s a lot that we could have done better to make this a better game for us,” Banchero said. “So, going into Game 2, you just clean up on those things and come in with a little more confidence, and we’ll be good.”
(Photo of Paolo Banchero: Jason Miller / Getty Images)
