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Game Thread | 2021-2022 Season | Game #80 | Cavs @ Magic | April 5, 2022 | 7:00 p.m.

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Wham with the Right Hand

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Coming down to the wire, the Cavs take on the Orlando Magic in what could be a must-win game if the Cavs want to retain the 7th or 8th seed. The Magic are 20-59 overall and have lost 11 of 13. Their home record is 10-29.

These teams last played eight days ago in Cleveland with the Cavs winning 107-101. The Cavs trailed by 2 points halfway through the 4th quarter but went on a 12-0 run to put it away.

Wendell Carter Jr was the best player for the Magic that day with 15 points, 12 rebounds, and 6 assists. He is out for tonight’s game. He was also out two nights ago and the Magic lost by 20 points to the Knicks at home. Carter is probably their best player, averaging 15.0 points and 10.5 rebounds.

Franz Wagner is listed as a game time decision tonight. He was a team high +12 against the Cavs last week. Point guard Cole Anthony was a +6 and he is also a GTD.

The Magic are just playing out the string at this point and it appears they are auditioning for next season. In their last game 10 players all got between 18-28 minutes. Another guy started and only played 13 minutes due to foul trouble. It’s like everybody on the roster is getting a chance to make his case for being in the plans for next year .

Rookie Jalen Suggs, the 5th overall pick this year, has been out with an ankle injury for three weeks and is listed as questionable for tonight. For the season he’s shooting 36.1% overall and 21.6% on 3’s. I remember he was in the discussion about who the Cavs should take at #3.

This is a game between a team that needs a win to hold on to its playoff position and a team that is auditioning the whole squad for next season and will be without its best player. If the Cavs lose this game they should just pack it in.

That being said, teams with nothing to lose that consist of young players trying to impress can be very dangerous. The Magic have 10 players age 23 or under, all looking to carve out a spot in the Association. They played the Cavs dead even for 3.5 quarters last week. The Cavs need to approach this road game with a playoff mentality.

The Magic are a bad team but they have youth and enthusiasm. The Cavs need to take care of business like they did against the Knicks with that 18-point win on the road.
 
I'm pretty confident we'll win tonight. I'd say we have an 80% chance.

That said, I am not happy that Allen isn't back yet, nor Mobley. I'm sure the fracture has healed by now. What's up with that?

With Mobley, he walked off the court under his own power. His ankle should be pain free and ready to play.

Why aren't they even practicing? Why aren't they giving me regular medical reports?
 
This is a very important game for the Cavs tonight. The Cavs new focus is to try and desperately hold onto the 7th seed, or in a worst case scenario the 8th seed. The difference between winning 1 game and 2 games to make the playoffs is pretty big. That’s part of why JBB was so mad about the Sixers loss and the refs fucking us over (as well has his own incompetence). If we beat the Sixers then a win tonight would have probably locked us into a top 8 seed.

Brooklyn has Houston. They probably get the W.

Hawks play Toronto. Toronto is favored by -4.5

Charlotte plays the Heat.

Cavs need to beat the Magic tonight bad. And then we still may need to get a W over the Bucks or Nets depending how the scoreboard watching goes. Hawks have tiebreakers over us. The Cavs /Nets game will decide the tiebreaker for whichever team.

The Nets last 4? Houston, NYK, Cleveland and Indiana.

So with the Nets, if we beat them then we likely lock into a top 8 seed.

If they win out, and we beat the Magic and lose to Milwaukee and by definition of them “winning out” we would lose to the Nets…they would then be ahead of the Cavs.

If the Cavs go 1-2, the Hawks would have to go 1-3 or 0-4 against Toronto, Wsh, Miami and Houston for us to finish ahead of them.

So basically, the Cavs probably need to either beat the fricken Nets, or beat the Magic and the Bucks. If the Cavs can beat the Magic AND the Nets or Bucks, we probably will finish 7th. So we need to go 2-1 to finish 7th.

So with that being said, the best way to go 2-1 in the final 3 is to beat the Magic. If we lose to the Magic then beating the Nets becomes almost a complete MUST WIN. I think the Cavs would likely miss the playoffs if we have to win two straight games in the play in. But if we only have to win 1…I like our chances a lot better especially if we can get both of them at home.
 
This is a very important game for the Cavs tonight. The Cavs new focus is to try and desperately hold onto the 7th seed, or in a worst case scenario the 8th seed. The difference between winning 1 game and 2 games to make the playoffs is pretty big. That’s part of why JBB was so mad about the Sixers loss and the refs fucking us over (as well has his own incompetence). If we beat the Sixers then a win tonight would have probably locked us into a top 8 seed.

Brooklyn has Houston. They probably get the W.

Hawks play Toronto. Toronto is favored by -4.5

Charlotte plays the Heat.

Cavs need to beat the Magic tonight bad. And then we still may need to get a W over the Bucks or Nets depending how the scoreboard watching goes. Hawks have tiebreakers over us. The Cavs /Nets game will decide the tiebreaker for whichever team.

The Nets last 4? Houston, NYK, Cleveland and Indiana.

So with the Nets, if we beat them then we likely lock into a top 8 seed.

If they win out, and we beat the Magic and lose to Milwaukee and by definition of them “winning out” we would lose to the Nets…they would then be ahead of the Cavs.

If the Cavs go 1-2, the Hawks would have to go 1-3 or 0-4 against Toronto, Wsh, Miami and Houston for us to finish ahead of them.

So basically, the Cavs probably need to either beat the fricken Nets, or beat the Magic and the Bucks. If the Cavs can beat the Magic AND the Nets or Bucks, we probably will finish 7th. So we need to go 2-1 to finish 7th.

So with that being said, the best way to go 2-1 in the final 3 is to beat the Magic. If we lose to the Magic then beating the Nets becomes almost a complete MUST WIN. I think the Cavs would likely miss the playoffs if we have to win two straight games in the play in. But if we only have to win 1…I like our chances a lot better especially if we can get both of them at home.

We think alike Boobs

Check out my notes for recording yesterday's RRJ episode.

Notes-for-RRJ-episode-10-Google-Docs.png

I genuinely can STILL see a way that we catch Chicago for 6 if we somehow win out. Chicago has the hardest schedule. This Atlanta/Toronto game has so many implications on this race that I HAVE to watch it. I'm pulling for Atlanta to beat them and then lose to Miami.

My BEST CASE optimistic Wine n Gold glasses scenario is:

5. Toronto
6. Cavs
7. Bulls (I am rooting like hell for them to lose out)
8. Hawks
9. Nets
10. Hornets
 
Prior to the Rubio injury, I thought the Cavs could play with any team in the East. Our decline since that point, especially on the defensive end, is alarming. Now, we still might be able to compete if Allen and Mobley can return to form in quick fashion and if LeVert consistently brings his good game, but we will be clean underdogs.

The silver lining if we lose two play-in games and miss the playoffs is that we will regain our first round draft pick. Also, those two play-in games and the last few games of the regular season (which are serving as playoff games as we jockey for position) will be great experience for our young guys. Not as good as an entire series, of course, but still worthwhile.
 
We think alike Boobs

Check out my notes for recording yesterday's RRJ episode.

View attachment 9439

I genuinely can STILL see a way that we catch Chicago for 6 if we somehow win out. Chicago has the hardest schedule. This Atlanta/Toronto game has so many implications on this race that I HAVE to watch it. I'm pulling for Atlanta to beat them and then lose to Miami.

My BEST CASE optimistic Wine n Gold glasses scenario is:

5. Toronto
6. Cavs
7. Bulls (I am rooting like hell for them to lose out)
8. Hawks
9. Nets
10. Hornets


I don’t see a realistic shot at 6 anymore. I really don’t. Even the long shot chance I think died with the Philly loss.


The Cavs winning out would be awesome, but it would also be bucking a lot of recent trends assuming nobody rests stars but maybe Milwaukee will.

I just want to hold onto 7. I think that gives us a good shot at winning a play in game.
 
Brooklyn has lost four of their last six. In those losses Kyrie has played 44, 41, 45, and 44 minutes. In his last five games he's gone 4-11, 6-22, 7-18, 9-22, and 12-32 from the floor for 36.2%.

We have a shot at beating Brooklyn in the first round whether it's home or away.

If we win tonight we'll have 44 wins. If Atlanta loses to Toronto they'll have 41 with three games to play, including Miami on the road, although the Heat could tank that one. Just too many variables right now.
 
With Mobley, he walked off the court under his own power. His ankle should be pain free and ready to play.
Well, that's the league for you these days. At this point, I'm not even sure he's coming back.
 
Everytime I bet against the Cavs this season they win, thay said I took Orlando plus 8 tonight in my 8 team parlay. You are welcome.
 
I'm pretty confident we'll win tonight. I'd say we have an 80% chance.

That said, I am not happy that Allen isn't back yet, nor Mobley. I'm sure the fracture has healed by now. What's up with that?

With Mobley, he walked off the court under his own power. His ankle should be pain free and ready to play.

Why aren't they even practicing? Why aren't they giving me regular medical reports?
Mobley is practicing

 

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