The Cavs' standout had a great start in the first-round face-off against the Orlando Magic.
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Donovan Mitchell seems to have completely recovered from his knee injury. The Cavs’ standout had a great start in the first-round face-off against the Orlando Magic and aims to lead his team to a 2-0 lead in the Eastern Conference series when they square off on Monday night in Cleveland. In Game 1, Mitchell dropped 30 points, shooting 11-of-21 from the field, helping the Cavs secure a 97-83 win at home.
Mitchell sat out six games in late March because of issues with his left knee. When he came back, he had a rough time, putting up 13 points or less in three out of his first four games back on the court. But he bounced back nicely, scoring 29 and 33 points in his last two regular-season games before lighting up the Magic.
Cleveland cruised to a Game 1 victory, holding a lead of up to 20 points and never falling behind. They managed to secure the win comfortably despite shooting only 8-of-30 from beyond the arc and committing 17 turnovers. Jarrett Allen chipped in with 16 points and 18 rebounds to support Mitchell, while Evan Mobley contributed 16 points and 11 boards.
For the Cavs, Jerome, Porter, and Wade will not be playing the game. However, no injuries are reported for the Magic and all players are available for selection.
Orlando is aiming to bounce back and prevent falling into a 2-0 hole after putting in the effort in Game 1. However, their shooting was off the mark. The Magic only managed to shoot 32.6% from the field, including a dismal 8 of 37 from beyond the arc. To add to their woes, they also missed 11 free throws, going 19 of 30 from the charity stripe.
Banchero put up 24 points, but he struggled at the free-throw line, only making half of his eight attempts. He also had some trouble holding onto the ball, committing nine turnovers.
As per the team, this turnover count ties for the second-highest in postseason history by an Orlando player, matching Darrell Armstrong’s nine turnovers against the Philadelphia 76ers on May 13, 1999. The record of 10 turnovers is held by Penny Hardaway against the Indiana Pacers on May 2, 1994.
Orlando coach Jamahl Mosley knows full well that his team needs to step up their shooting game if they want to head back home with the series all squared up.
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