Cleveland was way ahead of its opponent Charlotte Hornets in the fourth quarter of Game 82. However, they failed to convert it into a victory.
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Cleveland was way ahead of its opponent Charlotte Hornets in the fourth quarter of Game 82. However, they failed to convert it into a victory, as the Hornets outscored them 32-14 when coach J.B. Bickerstaff opted to give his bench players some playing time. Some saw it as strategic maneuvering to arrange a series against Orlando. However, it remains to be seen whether the Magic are ready to take this approach as a personal challenge or not.
The teams divided their season series evenly, with each team winning twice, once on their opponent’s home court. Their last encounter was on Feb. 22, and throughout the four games, the smallest margin of victory was seven points.
Apart from their proximity in the Eastern Conference standings, their even split in the season series, and their shared hunger for playoffs, these teams share several similarities. Both teams ranked within the NBA’s top 10 defensively, while falling in the lower half offensively.
For the Cavaliers, Jerome, LeVert, Merrill, Mitchell, and Wade will not be playing thr game. Besides, Garland can also miss the game due to injury. As for the Magic, no injuries have been reported.
Orlando put on a defensive clinic, following only Minnesota and Boston when it comes to defensive rankings, using this strength to gain a brilliant 21-2 record when limiting other teams to under 100 points. Both teams faced challenges when failing to reach the 100-point threshold: Orlando struggled with a 2-12 record in such instances, while Cleveland faced difficulties with a 1-9 record.
The Cavs performed more effectively in their head-to-head matchups, boasting a 5.6 net rating across the four meetings. Notably, they held a significant advantage from beyond the arc, outscoring Orlando by nearly 15 points per game on 3-pointers. Additionally, Cleveland maintained superior shooting percentages both overall and from long range, while also dominating the rebounding battles on both ends of the court.
Despite shooting 58.7% in the paint, ranking 11th in the league, the Magic struggled with an effective field goal percentage of 49.5% on shots taken from outside the paint, placing them 28th in the league. This marked the largest differential (9.2%) in the NBA. For the 11th consecutive season, the Magic found themselves in the bottom 10 offensively, with their deficiency in perimeter shooting standing out as their primary challenge.
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