CLEVELAND @ ORLANDO (ORL -4, 200.5)
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CAVALIERS VS. MAGIC 5/3/24
Even though Joe Ingles believes the Orlando Magic are still a young team, the subject has become stale to him. In fact, as the Magic attempt to avoid elimination in Game 6 of their Eastern Conference first-round series against the visiting Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday, Ingles isn't concerned about how age might be a factor. Cleveland holds a 3-2 advantage in the best-of-seven series and could end it tonight with a victory.
After Ingles, who is 36, Gary Harris at 29 is the next oldest player on the Magic. Before this series, the Magic only had four players with postseason experience. Nevertheless, Paolo Banchero, 21, and Franz Wagner, 22, have been able to set an excellent example for Orlando. In the series, Wagner is scoring 20.0 points and averaging 7.4 rebounds per game, while Banchero adds 24.8 points and 7.2 rebounds.
The home team has won all four games in the series. If that streak continues, Orlando would force the franchise's first Game 7 since 2009. A Cavs win would mark the first postseason series win for Cleveland since 2018. That, of course, was a different era. The team had just completed a string of four straight trips to the NBA Finals during LeBron James' second stint with the team.
Right now, Donovan Mitchell is the Cavs leader and he is doing a great job. On Tuesday, he scored 14 of his 28 points in the fourth quarter, leading the Cavaliers to their third consecutive series victory at home.
Teammate Jarrett Allen's health continues to be the main topic of conversation heading into tonight’s game.
Allen, who is regarded as the team's glue guy because he keeps everything together, missed practice on Tuesday because of a bruised rib that he received during the second half of the Cavaliers' Game 4 loss to Orlando. In the four games of the series, Allen has averaged 17.0 points and 13.8 rebounds.
Evan Mobley of the Cavaliers finished with 14 points, 13 rebounds, and 2 blocks in Game 5, including a block of Wagner's attempted layup with five seconds left in regulation.
Cleveland has won 9 of its last 13 games against Orlando, but the Cavs have lost five straight road games. The Magic are now 10-3 SU against Cleveland when they play the Cavs at home. Orlando has won its last six straight home games.
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FREE PICK: JAMAL MURRAY OVER 6.5 ASSISTS
In the four games against Minnesota this season, Nikola Jokic averaged 33.3 points per game. With him scoring so much, he only averaged 4.3 assists, which was well below his season average of 9.0 per game. Minnesota will likely continue to prevent Jokic from creating which means Murray is going to be more involved in playmaking. Denver point guards averaged 8.3 assists per game in those four against Minnesota. Murray is averaging 7.2 in the postseason and he cleared this prop in 3 of the 5 games against the Lakers.
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