Donovan Mitchell-led Cavaliers rally from 18 down to win series over Magic
Donovan Mitchell, 27, led the Cleveland Cavaliers to the Eastern Conference semifinals by scoring 39 points in a 106-94 victory over the Orlando Magic in Game 7 of their first-round series on Sunday.
In the third quarter, Mitchell had an outstanding performance, scoring 17 points and making 15 out of 17 free-throw attempts.
He also contributed nine rebounds to the game. This impressive display followed his 50-point effort in Cleveland's previous loss to Orlando.
Caris LeVert, coming off the bench, scored 15 points, while Max Strus added 13 points for the Cavaliers.
Despite being down by 18 points, the fourth-seeded Cavaliers managed to come back and secure their fourth home win in the series.
Cleveland, who hadn't won a playoff series in six years, will now face the top-seeded Boston Celtics in Game 1 of the conference semifinals on Tuesday. The Celtics had the upper hand in two out of the three regular season meetings.
Despite missing All-Star center Jarrett Allen due to a rib contusion for the third consecutive game, the Cavaliers emerged victorious.
In his first career Game 7, Orlando's Paolo Banchero had an impressive performance, collecting 38 points and 16 rebounds.
However, it wasn't enough to secure a win for the fifth-seeded Magic, who only managed to score 15 points in the third quarter.
Wendell Carter Jr. scored 13 points, and Jalen Suggs contributed 10 points and nine rebounds for Orlando. Franz Wagner struggled, making only 1 out of 15 shots and finishing with six points due to early foul trouble.
The Cavaliers managed to reduce an 18-point deficit to 10 by halftime. Mitchell then took charge in the third quarter, scoring 17 points, including a driving layup that gave Cleveland a 68-66 lead with 3:08 remaining. Suggs responded with two free throws, but Strus made consecutive 3-pointers.
In the fourth quarter, Mitchell and Darius Garland each made a 3-pointer, extending the Cavaliers' lead to 88-77 with 5:53 left in the game.
Although the Magic narrowed the gap to seven points, Garland sealed the victory for Cleveland with two free throws and a short jumper.
Orlando had a strong start, taking a 33-18 lead early in the second quarter. They extended their advantage to 18 points at 47-29 after a 3-pointer from Gary Harris. However, the Cavaliers closed the quarter with a 14-6 run.
SportsLigue