We were oh so close to having two Game 7s on Sunday, but the LA Clippers had to be the Clippers and do Clippers things on Friday. Hold up, let me don my protective gear for the barrage of internet tomatoes, and likely more dangerous objects that will be thrown at my internet head.
For full transparency, I was born and raised in the Showtime Era under the hue of purple and gold. And I always pull my socks up to my knees.
Regardless, the universe has still blessed us with hoops nirvana — one game for the key to open the door and face the big boss Boston Celtics in the next round. Here’s a look at Sunday’s Game 7 between the Orlando Magic and Cleveland Cavaliers with odds, staff picks and a preview.
All odds from BetMGM. Find the best deals on StubHub for tickets.
No. 5 Orlando Magic at No. 4 Cleveland Cavaliers
How to watch: 1 p.m. ET on ABC
Series tied 3-3
Like the Earth orbiting around the Sun, the first four games of the series played out in predictable fashion, with the home teams dominating. But then the Three-Body Problem manifested, as the absence of Jarrett Allen introduced a force that made nerds all across the universe throw their calculators at the wall, for now anything was possible.
The road dogs were barking and howling all night, and they were almost let out of the cage, which would have answered the age-old question of, “Who let the dogs out?” But alas, Evan Mobley saved the day with a block on a Franz Wagner layup attempt.
In Game 6, Orlando maintained the home-court prowess once again, but it wasn’t easy as the dogs were jumping up and down once again. This time, the big dog revealed himself. And I’m not talking about Clifford the Big Red Dog. I’m talking about Donovan Mitchell.
Ever since that Summer League before his rookie season, I knew Mitchell had that dawg in him because he was picking up guys full court, slapping his hands on the ground and just making life incredibly hard for opposing ball handlers. Sure, he was crossing over and flushing it down the throats of defenders, but it was the defensive intensity that always stuck with me. He had the complete package — offense, defense, special teams. It wouldn’t surprise me if he had mini drones that provided real-time info on where defenders will be so he can swerve and Euro step around them.
In the two prior games in Orlando, Mitchell shot 6-of-16 and 5-of-14 from the field, as the Cavaliers got smoked by 38 and 23 points. In Game 6, he went 22-of-36 from the field for 50 points. While the Cavaliers still lost, the most important thing is that Mitchell got that eye of the tiger back.
During the regular season, Orlando was 18-23 on the road. And this road game on Sunday will be a different beast altogether, as game sevens ratchet up the intensity and pressure. While Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner are amazing players, they are still only 21 and 22 years old. The Magic, as a team, have the third-fewest playoff games played in the NBA.
As Bruce Lee had to fight and climb up multiple levels before reaching Kareem in Game of Death, this is the first level for Orlando. They will be back in future years for sure, but Cleveland will be rocking.
Expert picks for Magic at Cavs
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(Photo of Franz Wagner and Evan Mobley: Julio Aguilar / Getty Images)
