Magic to Start Jonathan Isaac in Game 1 vs. Cavaliers

The Orlando Magic will start Jonathan Isaac at center against the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Jeremy Brener | Apr 20, 2024

Apr 14, 2024; Orlando, Florida, USA; Orlando Magic forward Jonathan Isaac (1) runs up court during / Mike Watters-USA TODAY Sports

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Orlando Magic

CLEVELAND — The Orlando Magic are beginning their playoff run exactly how they ended the regular season.

The team announced just before tipoff that Jonathan Isaac would start at center in place of Wendell Carter Jr. He'll start alongside Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner, Jalen Suggs and Gary Harris. It will be only the second time this season that this quintet would start together. The Cavaliers will counter with Jarrett Allen, Evan Mobley, Max Strus, Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland.

The decision to start Isaac in the regular-season finale came after Carter Jr. suffered a back injury in the previous game against the Philadelphia 76ers. However, Carter Jr. is healthy and good to go, so this decision appears to be matchup-based more than anything.

Isaac made just two starts during the regular season, including Sunday's win against the Milwaukee Bucks.

The Magic face the Cavs in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals on Saturday at 1 p.m. ET at the Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.

Related stories on the Orlando Magic

PAOLO BECOMING A SUPERSTAR: Reigning Rookie of the Year Paolo Banchero is making his NBA Playoffs debut in just his second season. A win in his first playoff series could accelerate his path towards superstardom. CLICK HERE

GAME 1 BETTING ODDS: The Orlando Magic are a 5.5-point underdog going into Game 1 against the Cleveland Cavaliers. CLICK HERE

PAOLO LOOKING FORWARD TO PLAYOFFS: Orlando Magic All-Star Paolo Banchero led his team to the playoffs in just his second season after being the No. 1 overall pick. CLICK HERE

HOW TO WATCH GAME 1: The Orlando Magic face off against the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 1 on Saturday. Here's what you need to know. CLICK HERE

Published Apr 20, 2024

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.