Magic Need More Outside of Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner in Game 2 vs. Cavs

The Orlando Magic's supporting cast failed to show up in Game 1 vs. the Cleveland Cavaliers on Saturday.

Apr 20, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Orlando Magic guard Gary Harris (14) knocks the ball from Max Strus / David Richard-USA TODAY Sports

ORLANDO — Saturday served as a brutal awakening for a young Orlando Magic team making their first playoff appearance since 2020.

An offense that had been up and down for much of the regular season was ice-cold for the Magic in their 97-83 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 1 in the first round of the Eastern Conference Playoffs at the Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Paolo Banchero led the Magic with 24 points, and Franz Wagner scored 18, accounting for over half of their team's offense. Banchero also led the Magic with five assists, while he and Wagner had seven rebounds.

"Cleveland does a great job of packing the paint and they do a great job of flying at shots, but a big portion of this is us continuing to be willing to step into those shots with competence, which our team will continue to do," Magic head coach Jamahl Mosley said after the game. "Again, it's the little things in this game, because if you look at the statute, there's a lot of similar things going through it. But now it's got to be the little things that take over, it's making your free throws, it's coming up with the 50/50 balls in these situations."

While Banchero and Wagner showed up much like they had in the regular season, and Orlando got solid contributions from Jalen Suggs who had 13 points Jonathan Isaac and Moe Wagner each had 10, the same can't be said for the rest of the supporting cast.

Gary Harris, who was in the starting lineup, and Markelle Fultz each didn't register a single point. Cole Anthony, who averaged just over 11 points per game in the regular season, made four free throws to account for his offensive output. Anthony was 0-7 from the field and 0-4 from beyond the 3-point line. Outside of Moe, the Magic's bench scored eight points.

Little went right for Orlando on offense, as it shot a measly 28-86 (32.6%), including 8-37 (21.6%) on its 3-pointers. The free throw line was also a struggle for the Magic, as they shot 19-30 from the line.

The Magic's offense was never their calling card, as their 110.5 points per game was 22nd in the league. In the regular season against teams who made the playoffs, Orlando averaged just 103.53 points. Among the playoff teams that gave the Magic trouble in the regular season was the Cavaliers, as they held them to under 100 points twice.

Cleveland ranked seventh in points allowed per game (110.2) and was sixth in defensive rating (112.7) in the regular season.

How Orlando adjusts in Game 2 will go a long way toward determining their chances against a much more experienced Cavs team. It's also an opportunity for Magic head coach Jamahl Mosley to prove how good of a coach he is on the heels of being named a finalist for NBA Coach of the Year.

Banchero and Wagner have long carried the offense, but in a seven-game series against a team with ample time to prepare for everything they bring to the table, the Magic will need more outside of the two forwards. If Orlando can't get more out of their supporting cast, it's a real possibility it'll head home down 2-0 with little margin for error to keep its season alive beyond the first round of the playoffs.

The Magic face the Cavs in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals at 7 p.m. ET on Monday at the Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.

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