The Orlando Magic’s season ended on Sunday after failing to withstand a furious second-half rally from Donovan Mitchell and the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 7 of their highly entertaining first-round Eastern Conference playoff series.
Seeking their first playoff series win since 2010, the Magic came out of the gate strong and surged to an 18-point lead in the first half before holding on to a 53-43 advantage at the break.
that's half
brb pic.twitter.com/HJFcfadSP3
— Orlando Magic (@OrlandoMagic) May 5, 2024
Mitchell, who hasn’t reached the second round of the playoffs since 2021, spearheaded a decisive second half that sent the Cavaliers back to the second round of the playoffs for the first time since 2018. It also marked the first time the Cavs punched a playoff ticket without LeBron James in 30 years.
Despite a knee injury, Mitchell capped arguably his most productive playoff series with a game-high 39 points, less than 48 hours after dropping 50 in Game 6.
Donovan Mitchell answered the call for the Cavs in Games 6 & 7 😤🔥 pic.twitter.com/RSL3lYfqB8
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) May 5, 2024
Second-year forward Paolo Banchero racked up a monster double-double with 38 points and 16 rebounds in his final game of the season.
.@Pp_doesit speaks to the media after his 38-point performance in game 7 at Cleveland 👇 pic.twitter.com/O6X0OogSdH
— Orlando Magic (@OrlandoMagic) May 5, 2024
Although the Magic had hoped for a deeper run in this year’s playoffs, the valuable experience throughout the grueling first-round battle with the Cavs will only fuel this team to reach greater heights in the coming seasons.
The Magic, who converted only 10 of their 31 three-pointers, will be armed with a significant cap space that they can use to shop for a proven shooter or an established star in the free agency market this summer.
THE CONVERSATION.