Magic Lose Game 1 vs. Cavs; What's Next?

The Orlando Magic find themselves down 1-0 against the Cleveland Cavaliers to start the 2024 NBA Playoffs.

Apr 20, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Caris LeVert (3) dribbles beside / David Richard-USA TODAY Sports

CLEVELAND — The Orlando Magic are tallying one in the loss column after a 97-83 defeat at the hands of the Cleveland Cavaliers on Saturday at RocketMortgage Fieldhouse.

The Magic started off by conceding the lead to the Cavs, and they never gave it up. While the Magic stayed in the game throughout the day, the team never got close enough to cause serious damage. It's really hard to win basketball games when you shoot under 35 percent from the 3-point line and the field, which is the ultimate reason why the Magic come out of Game 1 with a loss.

Will the Magic shoot this poorly in the future? Probably not. The team hasn't shot this poorly all season, so it would be surprising if they put up multiple clunkers in the series. It's clear that the team is going through some growing pains as it navigates the first playoff series Orlando has played.

That being said, the Magic need to ensure that the defense remains at their standard. Orlando was 21-2 this season when holding opponents to under 100 points. It happened today, but the offense didn't play on the same level of the defense.

Simply put, the Magic have to make their shots if they want to get back in the series. The jitters need to go, because there isn't a lot of mercy in the postseason, especially from a team as hungry as the Cavs. But it's safe to say that the team is more prepared today than it was yesterday.

The biggest step the Magic need to take is to stay the course. It sounds odd at first, but the team cannot panic because it's now trailing to start the series. The Magic still have three lives in the series, and if they play like they only have one, they may be down without a chance to really make it a competitive series.

They need to return to their Magic standards, which is what got them here, and the team believes it can do just that.

The Magic and Cavs are set to return to action on Monday at 7 p.m. ET.

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