The Magic Insider

Magic Blow 18-Point Lead in Game 7 Loss vs. Cavaliers

The Orlando Magic's season comes to an end after a Game 7 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2024 NBA Playoffs.

Jeremy Brener

May 5, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) goes for a loose
May 5, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) goes for a loose / Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports
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ORLANDO — The Orlando Magic are heading home after a 106-94 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 7 at RocketMortgage Fieldhouse on Sunday afternoon.

The Magic started off hot, making six of their first 11 3-pointers and building a lead that grew as large as 18. However, they weren't able to finish the job against the surging Cavs, who picked things up in the second half after a quiet first 24 minutes.

The game headlined a battle between each team's biggest star: Donovan Mitchell and Paolo Banchero.

While Banchero delivered a historic 24-point first-half performance, Mitchell responded with 23 of his 38 in the second half, and that was enough to seal the game for the Cavaliers.

While the loss is disappointing for the Magic, they had opportunities throughout the series to pull it out, especially today and in their one-point loss in Game 5. However, as a young team, they still have one of the brightest futures in the NBA as they go into the offseason.

Related stories on the Orlando Magic

  • MAGIC GAME 7 HISTORY: The Orlando Magic forced the fourth Game 7 in franchise history with their Game 6 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers. CLICK HERE
  • GAME 7 BETTING ODDS: The stakes don't get higher than a Game 7, but are the Orlando Magic favored to win their first road game of the series against the Cleveland Cavaliers and advance to the Eastern Conference Semifinals? CLICK HERE
  • FRANZ SHOOTING WOES: The Orlando Magic must have a great shooting night from Franz Wagner in game seven if the team hopes to advance past the Cleveland Cavaliers. CLICK HERE
  • PAOLO'S HISTORIC HALF: Orlando Magic star Paolo Banchero is carrying his team in Game 7 of the 2024 NBA Playoffs against the Cleveland Cavaliers. CLICK HERE
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Jeremy Brener

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.