Magic Homecourt Advantage 'Huge' in Game 3 vs. Cavaliers

The Orlando Magic fed off their home crowd's energy in their Game 3 win against the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2024 NBA Playoffs.

ORLANDO — It had been a little over five years since the Kia Center hosted an Orlando Magic playoff game, and about 13 years since a win. But both droughts ended on Thursday night after the Magic beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 121-83 in Game 3 of their first round series.

The Magic learned how hostile playoff environments can be firsthand in Games 1 & 2 in Cleveland, but with the crowd back on their side in Orlando, it played a significant part in the team's win.

"You see everybody stand up, you hear everybody cheer [and] you hear the roars," Jalen Suggs said. You know, I think it excites you to come back down, get a stop [and] go do it again. It gives you a bit of extra motivation. Some juice. Some more pop in your step. So, it was definitely felt, and it was rocking
in here today. Boy, that was fun. We [were] talking about it all game – just how lit, how energetic
it is in there, and yeah, I’d like to keep doing this here.”

The sold out crowd of 18,846 fans were a sea of blue on Thursday night with their brand new "Everybody In" shirts, and once the Magic built a lead in the first quarter, the energy and noise seemed to carry the team to a larger lead.

“They played a huge role," Paolo Banchero said of the crowd. "I don’t think people realize how much of a difference it makes, you know, when you make a play, or you score and the whole arena erupts every single time. It just gives you a huge energy boost and it makes you forget that you’re tired or whatever
it may be. Definitely give a lot of credit to the Magic faithful.”

In Saturday's Game 4, the Magic crowd will have another chance to give their hometown team an advantage in hopes of tying the series before it goes back to Cleveland for Game 5 on Tuesday. If the Magic win, it's a brand new series. But if it's a loss, it could be the last time the Magic play in Orlando this season.

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