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After a strong win in Game 5 and a 3-2 lead, the Cleveland Cavaliers are riding positive momentum as they go on the road to face the Orlando Magic for Game 6.
But if Cleveland wants to finish this series and move on to face the Boston Celtics in the second round, they have to do something they’ve failed to do all series: Win in Orlando. Compared to when the Cavs hosted them in Cleveland, the Magic are a different beast within the friendly confines of the Kia Center. The Cavs are aware of this and, in the eyes of forward Isaac Okoro, know they have to be the team that draws blood first.
“I think our start will be important,” said Okoro. “If we start off the game strong and not let them and the crowd get into it early, I think we can set up a win.”
To start Game 6 strong, the Cavs will need to be focused and as Okoro said, force Magic fans and their energy out of the atmosphere as quickly as possible. But with Jarrett Allen’s availability still up in the air, there are some tweaks Cleveland should consider to help close this series on their terms.
Staying together and ignoring the noise
While it would be ideal for the Cavs if Magic fans were amped up at all, that’s just a fantasy. In reality, there will be times that Orlando goes on a run and the crowd locks back in behind them. In those moments, emotions will be at their highest, and, for Cleveland, it’ll feel like everything is against them.
“The biggest thing is just the effort we had tonight, understanding that those shots we hit, those runs we made, there’s no loudness, there’s nothing coming for us (Friday in Orlando),” Donovan Mitchell said. “We got to stick together as a group, and, you know, I think going down there and knowing what’s to come, knowing who they are down there as a team, we got to be locked in. We got to stay together. And I have no doubt we will.”
To Mitchell’s point, the Cavs having a taste of the atmosphere in Orlando will make it easier to drown out the noise. But, if they stick together like Mitchell said, then Cleveland winning their first game on the road in this series certainly seems possible.
Playing smaller, not taller
When Allen was ruled out in Game 5 due to a rib injury, there was speculation on what head coach J.B. Bickerstaff would do. Would he stick to how the Cavs like to start games and insert Tristan Thompson or Damian Jones into the starting lineup? Or would Bickerstaff go smaller, sliding Evan Mobley over to center and surround Mobley with smaller, more potent shooting threats?
Well, Bickerstaff went with the former, not the latter, with Mobley starting at center and Isaac Okoro serving as Cleveland’s starting power forward. The result was one of the Cavs’ better offensive performance in this series and it might be a recipe for success in Game 6, especially if Allen remains unavaialble.
The smaller lineup makes it easier for the Cavs to get to 40 3-point tries with more shooting out there. The increased shooting allows more space for Mitchell and Garland to get into the paint and for Mobley to thrive on the interior. More importantly, the increased spacing confused Orlando on defense, creating more space all over the floor for shooting threats like Max Strus, Marcus Morris Sr. and others to get rolling.
Letting Marcus Morris Sr. off the chain
Speaking of Morris, Game 5 was the first time all series he played actual meaningful minutes against the Magic. He showed that he still has gas in the tank and can play meaningful minutes in the postseason for the Cavs. But, with Cleveland entering a hostile enviornment, the Cavs might not just want to play Morris. They also might want to start him.
Morris is a player that has always played with an edge to his game and it’s something he’s tried to instill in his teammates even if his time in Cleveland has been limited.
“He’s definitely a bruiser,” said Okoro of Morris. “The guys definitely see it and have the respect for that. He has lots of knowledge and has been in the league for a long time with a ton of playoff experience.
“He’s consistently talking throughout the game. In the locker room before the game, before the game, during the game, during timeouts, he’s consitently talking.”
Morris bringing that attitude on the floor to open things in Game 6 could help set the tone for the Cavs and, in turn, help them ship off to Boston to face the Celtics in the second round.
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