The Cleveland Cavaliers came into game 6 of the series intending to finish off the Magic and punch their ticket to round 2 of the playoffs. The Cavs needed to extend their 3-2 lead over the Orlando side, and with the series on the line, things got heated between the two rivals.

With around 3 minutes on the clock in the 3rd quarter, Cavs’ Georges Niang body-checked Jalen Suggs just beyond the 3-point line. After the heavy tackle, Niang tried to help Suggs back up to his feet, but the Magic guard didn’t have any of it. The 22-year-old got upright and pushed Niang on the chest, expressing his frustration about the offensive foul. The duo proceeded to chirp back and forth before being separated.

The score at that point was in the Cavs’ favor, as the visiting side was leading 72-69. However, at the end of the night, it was the Magic who had the last laugh by winning 103-96 and restoring parity in the series.

Magic Brings Parity to Series Against Cavs

When the game entered the fourth quarter, the Cavs were leading 78-73 thanks to Donovan Mitchell‘s 32 points in the previous quarters. Spida finished the game with 50 points, but that wasn’t enough to clinch the series

 

Apart from Mitchell and Darius Garland, there wasn’t any other significant scoring source for the Cavs, which enabled the Orlando side to capitalize in the final quarter. Paolo Banchero led the scoring with 27 points, 8 rebounds and 4 assists and received enough support from Franz Wagner and Jalen Suggs, who scored 26 and 22 respectively.

However, Banchero’s shooting was far from impressive, as he only converted 9 of his 20 field goal attempts. Donovan Mitchell, on the other hand, became the first Cavs player since LeBron James to score 50 points in a playoff game, thanks to his 22-36 FG shooting.

The Magic’s 103-96 win means we’re heading into game 7 of the series, and given the fiery nature of the rivalry, tempers may flare on May 5.