By: BHS Sports Staff
April 18, 2024
The NBA regular season has come to a close, and our hometown Cleveland Cavaliers have made it into the playoffs for the second straight season. The Cavs finished with a record of 48-34, three wins less than last year. They finished with the #4 seed in the Eastern Conference and will take on the #5 seed, the Orlando Magic.
Last year, the Cavs were also seeded fourth, but they laid a clunker in the first round against the New York Knicks. Hopefully, starting this Saturday, they flip the script.
So, how did the Cavs end up as the fourth seed?
With 63 games in, the Cavaliers had a record of 41-22 and stood in second place in the Eastern Conference. However, they finished off the 2023-24 campaign with a 7-12 record in the final 19 games. Additionally, they only finished one game ahead of the Magic, the Indiana Pacers, and the Philadelphia 76ers, and two games ahead of the Miami Heat.
Everyone has been contributing this season for Cleveland, as they have six players averaging double digits: Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland, Jarrett Allen, Evan Mobley, Caris Levert, and Max Strus. Mitchell led the team averaging 26.6 PPG, Allen is averaging a double-double every night with 16.5 PPG and 10.5 RPG, and Levert has been an amazing sixth man, averaging 14.0 PPG off the bench.
With this upcoming playoff matchup, the Cavs face a team that is very young and inexperienced in the playoffs, but they can be electric. The Magic have made the playoffs twice in the last ten seasons. Their two leading scorers, Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner, are both under 23 years old.
In the regular season, the Cavs went 2-2 against the Magic, so this seems to be a very fair matchup. However, most experts agree that the Cavaliers should win this series in six or seven games.
Below is the schedule for this opening round series:
- Game 1: Home – Saturday, April 20 at 1:00 (ESPN)
- Game 2: Home – Monday, April 22 at 7:00 (NBA TV)
- Game 3: Away – Thursday, April 25 at 7:00 (NBA TV)
- Game 4: Away – Saturday, April 27 at 1:00 (TNT)
- Game 5: Home – Tuesday, April 30 (If Necessary)
- Game 6: Away – Friday, May 3 (If Necessary)
- Game 7: Home – Sunday, May 5 (If Necessary)
You can keep up with the stats and highlights on the official Cleveland Cavaliers website.
Go Cavs!
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THE RETURN OF THE EYE 