Darius Garland and the Cavs looked like their 2023 playoff selves in the Magic’s 121-83 beatdown of them in Game 3.

The Cleveland Cavaliers looked like the convincingly more dominant team than the Orlando Magic through the first two games of their first-round matchup in the 2024 NBA playoffs. The Cavs have masterfully exposed the Magic’s greatest weakness — lack of floor-spacing — and promptly took the first two games of the series at home. However, Jarrett Allen warned the Cavs that the Magic team they’ll be facing in Game 3, in front of a passionate Kia Center crowd that has not known hope like this since the early 2010s, will be different.

On Thursday night, the Magic certainly came out of the gates playing like their life depended on it, because it did, as going down 0-3 in a series is a death sentence. The Cavs could not handle the Magic at all, with Orlando playing with such unbridled energy, and it didn’t take long for the home team to take a commanding lead en route to a 121-83 demolition of Cleveland.

Finger-pointing is pointless for a Cavs team that’s still pretty much in control of the series. But playoff series can be fickle; in the blink of an eye, a team that’s in the driver’s seat can lose their way if they let go of the gas pedal. Thus, these are some players that should take a look in the mirror and vow not to play as poorly as they did on Thursday night.

Where are you, Darius Garland?

The 2023-24 season has certainly not been what Darius Garland envisioned it to be. He struggled out of the gates this season, and just as he was getting into a groove, he fractured his jaw, knocking him out of action for 19 games in the middle of the year. Garland’s numbers ended up declining across the board, as he put up his worst numbers of the past three seasons.

In Games 1 and 2, Garland was alright for the Cavs. He didn’t try to do too much, and he didn’t have to, with the Cavs’ defense doing the majority of the work in slowing down the Magic in those contests. Garland averaged just 14.5 points on 45 percent shooting from the field, ceding control of the offense to Donovan Mitchell.

Mitchell had a usage rate of over 33 percent in the first two games of the series, while Garland hovered around the low-20s. As long as Mitchell is in town, Garland is going to have to take a backseat. That much is clear. But wins in the first two games covered for the apparent weaknesses that Garland has shown even in a smaller role.

Garland was turnover-prone in Games 1 and 2; he coughed up the ball nine times while dropping just 12 dimes — a poor ratio. On top of that poor assist to turnover number, he was also foul-prone. He committed nine combined fouls through the first two meetings, as the Magic, despite their lackluster offensive performances, targeted him as the weak link of the Cavs’ defense.

The backcourt of Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell was always going to bring back shoddy returns on the defensive end. Their lack of size makes them prime targets for the opposition, and they don’t make up for it with elite defensive instincts.

In Game 3, the Magic exploited Garland on both ends of the floor. Not only could Garland not buy a bucket (he made just two of his 10 shot attempts), he looked very lethargic on the defensive end.

Given his importance to the Cavs, Garland has to play much better. The Cavs should also tilt back some of the offensive burden towards him, as his impact is minimized if he is parked on an off-ball role. Donovan Mitchell should still head the offense, but Garland should command more than 20 or so usage rate he’s had thus far in the series.

Paolo Banchero carves up the Cavs’ defense

The Cavs looked like their 2023 playoff selves on Thursday night, and that is meant to be taken in the worst possible way imaginable. The Magic won the physical battle, while they also won the finesse matchup, thanks in large part to how dominant Paolo Banchero was. Banchero finished with a game-high 31 points while adding 14 rebounds and five assists.

Banchero’s jumpshot was on point, especially during the third quarter, and the other Magic players followed suit. Jalen Suggs continued to show that he was a major snub for the Most Improved Player award after scoring 24 points on 9-11 shooting (3-5 from deep), while Franz Wagner pitched in with 16 of his own.

The startling stat for the Cavs is that the Magic won the three-point battle, with Orlando making 13 threes compared to Cleveland’s eight. Just to add further insult to injury, the Cavs were outscored by the Magic in the paint (48-42), and Orlando, despite having a smaller frontcourt than Cleveland does, outrebounded them by 19 — (14-5 on the offensive glass, 37-27 on the defensive boards).
This simply cannot happen for the Cavs. They played as though the lights were too bright again. Past failures are nothing more than learning experiences, and the Cavs cannot have a repeat of what happened to them last year against the New York Knicks if they were to progress as a franchise.