Magic lose a nail-biter in Cleveland, series head back to Orlando

ORLANDO, Fla. — The Orlando Magic almost pulled out win Tuesday night in game 5 again the Cleveland Cavaliers.

10:45 p.m. Update:

The Orlando Magic lost game 5 in Cleveland on Tuesday night in a back-and-forth contest with the Cavaliers.

The Magic and Cavs traded baskets for the majority of the game with neither team dominated the paint.

In the end, the Cavaliers pulled out the win with a score of 104-103, and now the lead the series 3-2.

The two teams will face-off next in Orlando for game 6 on Friday night.

Original Story:

Orlando Magic fans are counting on the team to grab their first road playoff win in years Tuesday night.

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The team is back in Cleveland for game five against the Cavaliers. So far, it’s been a tough series for the Magic on the road.

Both teams have protected their home courts in the best-of-seven series that’s now a best-of-three.

READ: Dominant third quarter propels Magic to huge Game 4 win

The Cavaliers won games one and two on their home court before the Magic tied the series with wins at the Kia Center in games three and four.

The Magic shot just 24 percent from three-point range and 34 percent from the floor in that pair of road losses.

Although Orlando also never led in games one and two in Cleveland, their defense traveled, as the Cavaliers still haven’t scored 100 points in a game this series.

However, the Magic couldn’t hit a shot in those road games either, which will have to change for the season to continue, as they’ll need to win at least one game in Cleveland to have a chance to win the series and advance to the next round of the playoffs.

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Magic coaches and players say those early jitters are now gone, and they understand what they’re up against in game five.

“Understanding what to expect is a big key to that,” Head Coach Jamahl Mosley said. “You understand what the fans were. You understand the intensity of the building and how loud it is. All those things are pieces we have seen. But we also need to understand that we have to continue to play right. The fans don’t impact on-court. Our guys have to impact what we’re doing on the court, and that’s all we can control.”

“It’s going to be a fun environment,” Magic Guard Gary Harris added. “We experienced it earlier in the first two games. Then being able to go home, experience our crowds...so we know they’re going to be rowdy. They’re going to be cheering loud. It will be a hostile environment, but I think we’re more than ready, more than prepared. We gotta just stick to our principals and take it one quarter at a time.”

Tuesday night’s game five tipoff at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse in Cleveland is set for 8 p.m.

READ: Franz Wagner scores 34, leads Magic to second straight rout of Cavaliers to tie series at 2-2

The game will be televised locally on Bally Sports Florida but is again blacked out on NBATV.

The Magic haven’t won a road playoff game since game one of their 2019 series against the Toronto Raptors, which ended with a game-winning three-pointer by DJ Augustine.

A win in Cleveland Tuesday night would set up a potential series-clinching game six Friday in Orlando.

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