CLEVELAND — The Cleveland Cavaliers are headed back to the NBA Playoffs for the second consecutive season.
On Saturday, the fourth-seeded Cavs will host the No. 5 seed Orlando Magic in Game 1 of their best-of-seven first-round series in the 2024 NBA Playoffs.
What follows is everything you need to know about Cleveland’s Game 1 matchup.
- Date: Saturday, April 20, 2024
- Time: 1 p.m.
- Location: Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland, Ohio
- TV channel: Bally Sports Ohio, ESPN
- Radio: WTAM/WNZN
- Betting line: Cavaliers -4.5
- Over-under point total: 207.5
Series schedule
- Game 1: Saturday, April 20, 1 p.m.
- Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse
- TICKETS
- Game 2: Monday, April 22, 7 p.m.
- Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse
- TICKETS
- Game 3: Thursday, April 25, 7 p.m.
- Kia Center
- Game 4: Saturday, April 27, 1 p.m.
- Kia Center
- Game 5: Tuesday, April 30
- If necessary
- TICKETS
- Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse
- Game 6: Friday, May 3
- If necessary
- Kia Center
- Game 7: Sunday, May 5
- If necessary
- Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse
Preview
After losing to the New York Knicks in last year's first round of the NBA Playoffs, the pressure is on for the No. 4 Cavaliers, who are tasked with proving themselves as a young team with depth after a season that has been up and down.
During the regular season, the Cavaliers and Magic split the series 2-2, with the Magic beating the Cavaliers 116-109 in the last game on Feb. 22. One thing worth noting, though, is the Cavaliers' absence in many of those games. While facing the Magic in the regular season, Caris LeVert missed three games, Evan Mobley missed two and Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell each missed one.
Coming into the game, the Cavaliers' offense seems similar to the Magics', with the teams shooting 47.9% and 47.6 % from the field, respectively. However, the Cavaliers will need to find a way to break through this tough Magic defense, which has been holding teams to just 108.4 points per game.
The Magics' defense is also one of the best in the league in many statistical categories, including fifth in the NBA in steals, eighth in deflections, second in opponent turnover percentage, second in points scored off of turnovers and second in points allowed per possession.
Shooting well from the field and breaking through the Magics' defense will be critical, as poor shooting from the field is one of the main reasons the Cavaliers lost early on to the Knicks last year.
One match-up to watch will be Mitchell and Jalen Suggs. The 22-year-old guard for the Magic has been known to disrupt the backcourt. Mitchell experienced that earlier this season when Suggs and the Magics' defense held him to shooting 9-19 from the field.
Mitchell, who averaged 26.6 points in the regular season, will need help from Garland and Jarrett Allen as he continues to bounce back from a left knee injury. However, Mitchell did tell reporters earlier this week that he is 100% healthy.
This postseason is pivotal for the Cavaliers, as this series alone could determine Mitchell's future with the team, as well as the long-term future of head coach J.B. Bickerstaff and team president Koby Altman.