CLEVELAND — Following a painful road trip, the Cleveland Cavaliers are returning to Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse on Tuesday for Game 5 of the first round of the NBA Playoffs against the Orlando Magic.
However, the Cavs are desperate for a win after dropping two straight on the road to the Magic. The series is currently tied 2-2.
What follows is everything you need to know about the Cavaliers vs. Magic Game 5 matchup.
Game 5 info, how to watch on TV, betting line:
Date: Tuesday, April, 30, 2024
Time: 8 p.m.
Location: Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, Cleveland, Ohio
TV channel: Bally Sports Ohio, NBA TV
Radio: WTAM/WNZN
Betting line: Cavaliers -4.5
Over-under point total: 200.5
Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Orlando Magic series schedule
Game 1: Saturday, April 20, 1 p.m.
CAVS WIN: 97-83
Game 2: Monday, April 22, 7 p.m.
CAVS WIN: 96-86
Game 3: Thursday, April 25, 7 p.m.
MAGIC WIN: 121-83
Game 4: Saturday, April 27, 1 p.m.
MAGIC WIN: 112-89
Game 5: Tuesday, April 30
Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse
Game 6: Friday, May 3
Kia Center
Game 7: Sunday, May 5
If necessary
Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse
GAME 5 Preview
The Cavaliers are back in town after a challenging trip to Orlando for games 3 and 4 of the first round of the NBA Playoffs. After getting blown out in both games to the Magic, the Cavaliers are desperate for a win to regain the series lead.
During the regular season, the Cavs had a slightly better record at home with 26 wins, compared to 22 on the road. The Cavaliers will need to fully utilize their home court advantage for Game 5 and Game 7 (if necessary).
However, Orlando comes into The Land riding on a lot of momentum after finding its offensive groove in front of its fans at the Kia Center. The Cavaliers seemed to have no answers for all of the adjustments that the Magic made during the past two games.
Now, the Cavaliers are tasked with finding their ability to score again, which seemed to be silenced by the Magic. Finding an offensive rhythm will be essential for the Cavaliers, especially Donovan Mitchell, who was held to just 13 and 18 points in games 3 and 4.
In addition, Cleveland's bench will need to step up after they were outscored 43-15 in Game 4. Issac Okoro averaged 18.5 minutes during the past two games. However, he didn't score a single point.
The bench problems extend past Okoro. Players like Georges Niang and Sam Merrill averaged 17.5 minutes and 13.5 minutes of playing time, but only 4.5 points per game. The Cavaliers' bench's lack of offensive effort will have to change for the Wine and Gold to keep pace with the Magics' newly found shooting success.
The trip to Orlando has fans seeing the similarities of how the Cavaliers struggled in last year’s first-round exit against the New York Knicks. Tuesday's game is a must-win as the criticisms continue of head coach JB Bickerstaffs, whose future in Cleveland is getting increasingly uncertain.