Magic Ready for Cavs' Best Punch in Game 5

After winning two straight games at home and tying the series, the Orlando Magic are ready for the Cleveland Cavaliers to be at their best in Game 5.

Apr 27, 2024; Orlando, Florida, USA; Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero (5) drives to the basket / Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports

ORLANDO — When the Orlando Magic enter the Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse on Tuesday, the series will have completely shifted compared to when they first exited the arena after Game 2.

After a 96-86 loss on April 22, the Magic had more questions than answers after their offensive struggles dug them into a 2-0 hole before heading back home. In Games 3 and 4 at the Kia Center, back-to-back blowout wins led by Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner shifted the series on a dime and swung the momentum completely in the Magic's favor.

Now, with Orlando set to enter the same arena it struggled mightily in, it'll have to exorcise its demons and do so against a Cavs team coach Jamahl Mosley expects to be at their best.

"It's not going to be easy," Mosley said. "The game plan may be simple, but the task about going to do it is not an easy task. You have to go and take the game more than you just have to expect them to not show up. We're going to get their best punch."

The first four games of the first-round matchup between the Magic and Cavs in the Eastern Conference Playoffs have been a paradigm of teams playing better at home in the postseason. The Cavs' defense has paved the way for them to win both of their home games after holding Orlando to under 90 points in each matchup. But once the series shifted to Orlando, the Magic's offense exploded, winning both games by a combined 61 points.

Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner paced the Magic's offensive explosion at home, as they strung together back-to-back historic performances. Banchero scored 31 points and had 14 rebounds with no turnovers in Orlando's 121-83 win in Game 3, while Franz Wagner had 34 points and 13 rebounds and didn't turn the ball over in a 112-89 win in Game 4.

With their outings, Wagner and Banchero became two of the three players in the last decade to have at least 30 points, 10 rebounds and no turnovers in a playoff game.

"That's what we do," Banchero said of his and Wagner's performances in Games 3 and 4. "That's why our teammates look to us to lead the guys. We're supposed to step up in the biggest games in the biggest moments. I don't think either one of us felt it was an out of body experience."

For Orlando, returning to Cleveland for Game 5 represents a chance for a young team to take the next step in its development. A win could show that the Magic are ready to take the next step from a playoff team to a bonafide contender and set them up to close out the series in Game 6 where they blew Cleveland out twice. But if the road struggles persist, it'll be another experience the Magic will have to learn from quickly, as they'll have to win two in a row, including Game 7 in Cleveland to advance to the Eastern Conference Semifinals.

And after the struggles in the first two games of the series and the success Orlando found in Games 3 and 4, Banchero knows what it'll take for his team to finally get over the hump in a hostile road environment in Game 5 on Tuesday.

"You've got to stick together as a group," Banchero said. "Just hitting on all cylinders in terms of communication and being on the same page [and] just go out there and have fun. In the first two games, we had a lot of nerves, turned it over a lot and missed a lot of shots. We just have to go out there with a lot of confidence and have fun."

The Magic face the Cavs on Tuesday at 8 p.m. ET at the Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.

Related stories on the Orlando Magic

• MAGIC REVEAL PLAN FOR GAME 5: The Orlando Magic must win a road game against the Cleveland Cavaliers to advance, and they can do so in Game 5 of the 2024 NBA Playoffs. CLICK HERE
  

• FULTZ, ISAAC LEAD COMEBACK: The Orlando Magic are getting solid production off the bench from their veterans. CLICK HERE

• FRANZ SHINES: The Orlando Magic were led by Franz Wagner in their Game 4 victory against the Cleveland Cavaliers. CLICK HERE