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2023-24 Playoff Series #1 | Game #3 | Cavs @ Magic | April 25, 2024

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Smooth said:
You draw me right back in..

LeVert for DFS this offseason is one of my favorite moves..
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I want to aim higher first. Think Jerami Grant or Kyle Kuzma. I'll settle for DFS and be excited about that but I want a 3/4 more than a 3/2 type player. Give me a guy that can eat up a lot of minutes at the 4 and can be an advantage on at least one side of the ball.

Jerami Grant and Kyle Kuzma are guys that I think we can get without giving up any of our top 4 guys.
 
The disappointing thing about Donovan is that he’s had multiple games like this this year where he just looks lethargic and passive. And no it’s not all because of health (eg the Bucks game they lost during their hot streak in January)

I don’t think I ever see someone like Brunson like this. Shots falling or not, he’s aggressive.
 
Mitchell is 6-for-24 on 3-point attempts. We can't win with him hitting 25% unless Orlando goes back to shooting the way they did in games 1 and 2. I knew that wouldn't last.

Strus is 2-for-10. Ditto.

Okoro has 14 points and 2 rebounds in three games (44 minutes).

Niang is 4-for-19 overall and 1-for-10 on 3's.

The Magic are playing elite defense and if the Cavs don't start hitting some 3's they will go down.
 
I felt a loss was coming, so I'm not entirely shocked. I didn't think we played well at home, more-so Orlando was complete ass shooting the ball. If we put forth the same games 1 and 2 performances against most of the other teams the playoffs, we'd probably have been down 0-2. I would not have guessed we'd lose by 40, but a sound defeat was certainly a possibility.

Mitchell and Allen were the only guys I thought were playing at the level we needed for success. If you are getting average to bad showings from your bench and a couple of your key guys at home, the odds of them getting any better on the road are extremely short.

I had to laugh when people were talking about JB coaching circles around Mosley and the Cavs switching gears in the postseason. We took advantage of a team that struggles to score and has no experience, which is precisely why they tanked the Hornets game.

Rumors of this team being tough were greatly exaggerated.
 
What worries me is now the Magic have tasted blood, they have their confidence back, and they've found the key to beating the Cavs; swarm the offensive glass like the Knicks did last year and play a more intense, more physical style of basketball.

Banchero knows the Cavs have no one both tall enough and strong enough to stop his mid-range jumpers. At 6'10" he shot over Strus, Niang, and Okoro. When Mobley was on him he simply slammed into him to create enough space to get the fallaway off.

Suggs was awful the first two games but the two days off to rest his knee really helped and he played like an All-Star tonight; 9-for-11, 24 points in 28 minutes, great defense, and a +25 when he was on the floor. He also had a couple of monster slams that set the tone, or reinforced it.

I don't know if the Cavs can recover from this beatdown. It's a finesse team against a group of maulers and in the playoffs the maulers have the edge.
 
bushwick_bill said:
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Do what I’ve just done and read some of the posts after the Game 2 GSW loss (game thread). Absolutely hilarious. People were so sure we were doomed. In fact we don’t know what the future will bring and the rest of that series proved it.

My favorite comment was we couldn’t win a game @ Oracle even if Curry and Thompson wouldn’t play, but there are lots of other gems.

Some familiar posters too. He he he.
 
2 For The Brew said:
Do what I’ve just done and read some of the posts after the Game 2 GSW loss (game thread). Absolutely hilarious. People were so sure we were doomed. In fact we don’t know what the future will bring and the rest of that series proved it.

My favorite comment was we couldn’t win a game @ Oracle even if Curry and Thompson wouldn’t play, but there are lots of other gems.

Some familiar posters too. He he he.
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There are always lots of smarty pants that are like see see see I was right, this team has no chance after a L...It is what it is...

Anything can happen in the NBA Playoffs.

Regardless the numbers say we have a pretty good chance of winning this series...


Series status: 2-0
How many teams won their series after having a
2-0 lead?
416
92.7%
view full list...
How many teams recovered from a
0-2 deficit?
33
7.3%
 
I couldn't watch this game live and won't bother to watch the replay. My question is was there any adjustments made by the magic in how they defended the cavs or were there any signs of extra wrinkles form the cavs? Game 4 is time for JB to show his stuff and find a way to get a groove back. Yes players could make more shots but also coaches can find ways to get players better shots.
 
  • Niang hit his first three for the series in the fourth quarter, but the question is: How much longer does Bickerstaff stick with Niang first off the bench? It’s not like Okoro has lit the world on fire but lessening minutes opens minutes for Merrill which is what they made need to spark the bench unit offensively and provide a tougher matchup for Banchero more consistently.
  • The other question is what the heck do you do with Garland to get him going? Despite a very successful regular season against the Magic (third highest ppg amongst opponents this year), Garland had another dud of a first half with 5 points, 2 rebound, 1 assist and was 2-6 from the field. This is now three games in a row where the scoring, the urgency and the playmaking is not there from the start. The Cavs can afford him to score but not dish out assists, or playmake out the wazoo and not score as many points, but they can’t afford both. They’re also not paying him like a player where that’s acceptable.
  • The first quarter was just the start, but the Magic punished the Cavs on the boards all night. They were a +19 in that category by game’s end.
  • One place we talked about the Magic exploiting more, since their efficiency the last two games has been above average, is fast breaks. Well, they doubled up the Cavs tonight to the tune of 22-11. The Magic ran more and found more offensive success.
  • The most disappointing part of the loss wasn’t the loss itself, it was the lack of urgency displayed throughout the game. The Cavs looked like they felt they had a game to spare and didn’t feel the need to play through the punches. Instead, they returned to their corner and were willing to take the knockdown.
  • Now on the other hand, Suggs’ step back three-pointers and Banchero fall away jumper after fallaway jumper leads you to believe it’s just one of those nights. The Cavs didn’t have it, and the Magic did.
  • But let’s keep this in perspective: It’s only one game. Every playoff game is magnified which is why some felt like the Cavs would sweep after two wins and why some feel like the Cavs won’t win again after this one game.
 
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