The NBA Playoffs are underway, and the home teams have made a strong statement in the opening weekend. All eight home teams won their respective Game 1 matchups, marking the first time since 2013 that home teams have gone undefeated in the first round of the playoffs.
The Orlando Magic will look to continue their home dominance when they host the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 2 of their first-round series on Monday, April 22. The Magic dropped Game 1 in Cleveland by 20 points, but they will be hoping to bounce back in front of their home crowd.
The Cavaliers, meanwhile, will be looking to take a 2-0 lead in the series and put the Magic on the brink of elimination. They have been led by Donovan Mitchell, who has averaged 27.5 points per game in the playoffs so far.
The Magic will need to find a way to slow down Mitchell and the rest of the Cavaliers’ offense if they want to avoid falling into a 0-2 hole. They will also need to get more production from their own offense, as they shot just 40.2% from the field in Game 1.
Game 2 between the Magic and Cavaliers is scheduled to tip off at 7 p.m. ET on Monday, April 22. The game will be televised on NBA TV.
Other notable results from the opening weekend of the playoffs include:
* The Boston Celtics rolled past the Miami Heat 118-107 in Game 1 of their Eastern Conference semifinal series.
* The Milwaukee Bucks defeated the Indiana Pacers 111-84 in Game 1 of their Eastern Conference semifinal series.
* The Los Angeles Clippers topped the Dallas Mavericks 118-108 in Game 1 of their Western Conference semifinal series.
* The Minnesota Timberwolves rolled by the Phoenix Suns 124-121 in Game 1 of their Western Conference semifinal series.
* The Oklahoma City Thunder held off the New Orleans Pelicans 94-92 in Game 1 of their Western Conference semifinal series.
