Donovan Mitchell scored 50 points and the Cavaliers shot over 50 percent, but the Magic stole Game 6 with offensive rebounding.
CLUTCH ANTHONY BLACK PUTBACK ‼️
— NBA (@NBA) May 4, 2024
ORL forces Game 7 if they hold on to the lead in the 4Q on ESPN#NBAPlayoffs presented by Google Pixel pic.twitter.com/FM9MdYGESS
Cole Anthony got a big offensive rebound and putback late to keep Orlando ahead with two minutes to go, and the Magic forced a Game 7 with a 103-96 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers.
It was one of 15 Orlando offensive boards in the game, compared to seven for Cleveland, two of which came in the game’s last eight seconds with the game out of reach.
The Cavs were able to force misses late, but their inability to collect the rebounds doomed them. After stealing the ball from Mitchell late, Paolo Banchero (27 points) missed a three-pointer, but Jonathan Isaac corralled the miss and Banchero hit two free throws.
With just over four minutes left, Jalen Suggs grabbed a Wendell Carter Jr. miss and hit a three-pointer of his own.
Jalen Suggs hits the 3-pointer and Donovan Mitchell (43 PTS) answers with a triple of his own in the 4Q on ESPN #NBAPlayoffs presented by Google Pixel pic.twitter.com/T4J0wanPtp
— NBA (@NBA) May 4, 2024
Overall, five different Magic players grabbed offensive rebounds in the fourth quarter and turned them into nine points. That countered Mitchell’s monster game, where he scored 50 points on 22-of-36 shooting.
SPIDA 50 BALL ️ https://t.co/07z07x6ClV pic.twitter.com/dPVKkl1tCU
— NBA (@NBA) May 4, 2024
Franz Wagner had 26 points for Orlando and hit all 11 of his free throws, while his brother Mo only scored two points, but got five offensive rebounds.
Ultimately, Cleveland lost because Mitchell scored 50 and the rest of the team managed only 46 — and holding Orlando to 39 percent shooting doesn’t matter as much when the Cavs couldn't rebound the misses.
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