The Cavaliers won Game 5 thanks to a timely block from Evan Mobley on Franz Wagner that would've tied up the game with just five seconds left. Now, Cleveland can eliminate the Magic on the road Friday night and advance to the second round where a meeting with the Boston Celtics awaits them. But Game 6 won't be a walk in the park. Orlando has played far better than the first two games in this series, and given that they haven't lost at home in this series, they'll certainly have that going for them Friday night.
Here's what to know ahead of Game 6:
Cavaliers at Magic -- Game 6
- Date: Friday, May 3 | Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
- Location: Kia Center -- Orlando
- TV channel: ESPN | Live stream: fubo (try for free)
- Odds: Magic -3.5; O/U 200.5
Storylines
Magic: Paolo Banchero dropped 39 points in Game 5 but it wasn't enough to lift Orlando to a win. The Magic will need Banchero and Franz Wagner to turn in solid performances Friday night because outside of Jalen Suggs no one else around them has managed to turn in consistent offensive performances. In each of Orlando's two wins at home during this series, they've managed to keep the Cavaliers to under 90 points, and they'll need a similar defensive performance if they want to force a Game 7.
Cavaliers: Cleveland got great production from Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland and Max Strus in Game 5, and they still only won by one point. That says more about how good Orlando's defense is than anything, but if the Cavs want to avoid another nailbiter they'll have to figure out how to break down the Magic's defense to get better looks. Another major question mark is the status of Jarrett Allen who is listed as questionable for Friday night. Allen missed Game 6 with a rib bruise, and while the Cavs won that game, having him would obviously give them a boost in trying to close out this series.
Prediction
The home team has won every game in this series, so I'm going to go with the trend and pick Orlando to win and set up a Game 7 on Sunday. The Pick: Magic -3.5
