Cavaliers Narrowly Beat Magic with Late Block, Take 3-2 Series Advantage

Cleveland Cavaliers defeat the Orlando Magic in Game 5, 104-103

Cleveland Cavaliers defeat the Orlando Magic in Game 5, 104-103 | Image: NBA

Evan Mobley blocked Franz Wagner’s layup attempt with five seconds left in the fourth quarter, aiding the Cleveland Cavaliers in clinching a 104-103 win over the Orlando Magic on Tuesday in Game 5 of their Eastern Conference first-round matchup.

Donovan Mitchell of Cleveland exploded for 28 points, with Darius Garland contributing 23 points, 17 of which came in a dominant first-quarter display. The fourth-seeded Cavaliers also saw Max Strus tally 16 points, while Mobley notched a double-double with 14 points and 13 rebounds.

Cleveland has now triumphed in all three home games, giving them a 3-2 edge in this best-of-seven series. The teams will clash again in Orlando for Game 6 on Friday.

Marcus Morris Sr. provided crucial support off the bench with 12 points for the Cavaliers, who were missing Jarrett Allen due to a right rib injury sustained in Game 4. Allen had been a key performer, averaging 17.0 points and 13.8 rebounds in the series prior to his injury.

Orlando’s Paolo Banchero staged a remarkable performance, amassing 39 points and eight rebounds after a lackluster showing in Game 4, where he managed only nine points on 4-of-14 shooting.

Wagner contributed 14 points and six assists, while Jalen Suggs chipped in 13 points for the fifth-seeded Magic, who have now suffered seven consecutive losses on the road, stretching back to the regular season.

Banchero briefly gave Orlando a lead with a pull-up jumper to make it 98-97, before Mobley swiftly responded with a powerful one-handed dunk on the ensuing possession.

Mitchell added a free throw, and Mobley capitalized on a clever pass from Garland for an easy layup, extending Cleveland’s lead to 102-98 with 40.6 seconds left in the fourth quarter.

Despite Wagner’s layup cutting the gap, Mobley’s game-saving block on his next drive denied Orlando the lead. As Mitchell secured a pair of free throws, Banchero sank a 3-pointer to conclude the scoring.

Suggs split a pair of free throws to give Orlando a 64-63 lead, only for Cleveland to respond with a 12-6 run to close out the third quarter. Strus elevated the surge, punctuating it with back-to-back 3-pointers around an impressive driving layup.

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