Everyone knew what was on the line when the Orlando Magic stepped foot in Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse for Game 7 against the Cleveland Cavaliers. Win and advance to an Eastern Conference Semifinals matchup with the Boston Celtics, or watch the rest of the NBA Playoffs from the couch. The Cavaliers chose Option A.
In the biggest game of their season, Paolo Banchero and Donovan Mitchell both had magnificent performances, but few others came to play. Who were the biggest winners and losers from Game 7?
Winner: J.B. Bickerstaff
Credit to Cavaliers head coach J.B. Bickerstaff and his assistants. Despite Paolo Banchero getting off to a red-hot start, including an 18-point lead, the Cavs’ confidence never wavered. Bickerstaff made sure his team kept their composure and now they’ve earned a trip to the Eastern Conference Semifinals.
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Loser: Jamahl Mosley
On the flip side, Jamahl Mosley may have led the Magic to a 12-win improvement during the regular season, and Orlando even got in position to eliminate the Cavs, but they showed their youth as the minutes flew by. Orlando started forcing bad shots and committing self-inflicting fouls. Mosley’s team showed growth this season, but they have work to do before becoming a legitimate contender.
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Winner: Boston Celtics
It really didn’t matter who won between the Magic and Cavaliers; the Celtics were winners either way. Not only did Boston get extra rest from the Magic-Cavs being pushed to Game 7, but now their opponent is more worn out and less prepared. Meanwhile, Boston has been studying their potential matchups all week.
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Loser: Franz Wagner
Franz Wagner was Orlando’s second-leading scorer coming into the afternoon, averaging 19.7 points during the regular season. Yet, Wagner was inconsistent against the Cavs, and unfortunately, he saved his worst for the biggest game of his career. He shot just .06% from the floor, making 1-of-15 attempts to finish with six points. He was a big reason why Orlando will be watching the rest of the playoffs from home.
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Winner: Jarrett Allen
Questionable with a rib injury, Jarrett Allen wasn’t able to suit up for Game 7. But he’s only day-to-day, so Cleveland’s advancement to the next round should buy their center enough time to get back in the starting lineup against Boston.
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Winner: Max Strus
After a fairly quiet first half from everyone not named Donovan Mitchell and Caris LeVert, the Cavaliers needed all the help they could get from their secondary contributors, and Max Strus answered the call in a big way. The shooting guard sank 5-of-9 shots, including 3-of-6 shots from distance for an efficient 13 points to become Cleveland’s second-highest-scoring starter.
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Winner: Caris LeVert
The Cavaliers might not have won this game if it weren’t for Caris LeVert’s 15 points on just nine shots. Getting to the line, and sinking 5-of-7 free throws helped tack on a few extra points on a night when the Cavs were sluggish to begin with, but LeVert ended as Cleveland’s second-highest scorer.
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Loser: Orlando Magic supporting cast
Paolo Banchero showed up, but many other members of the Magic did not. Wendell Carter had a decent night, chipping in 13 points on 10 shots, but if we take away Banchero’s 38 and Carter’s 10, the rest of the Magic combined for just 43 points. No wonder they lost by 12.
Winner: Donovan Mitchell
Donovan Mitchell will be the first to admit he could have shot a lot better than 40%, but on a night where he also made 15-of-17 free throw attempts, it didn’t matter that he missed 16 shots from the floor. The Magic had no answer for Mitchell in the second half, and he had 39 points to show for it.
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Loser: Paolo Banchero
It’s obvious that Paolo Banchero was not the reason the Magic lost. This is a rising superstar, but not even his 38 points were enough on a night when the Magic shot just 33% as a team. He also added 16 rebounds, three steals, a block, and an assist in a complete performance, but now he’ll just use the loss as fuel to improve next year.
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