Assistant coaches Dale Osbourne and Jesse Mermuys led strategic adjustments for Orlando during halftime
Cavs guard Donovan Mitchell was held scoreless in second half, bench underperformed and were outscored by Magic bench by a margin of 43-15
Magic defense held Cavs to 4-of-18 shooting in third quarter, offense scored 37 points
Magic now lead series 2-2 with both teams having won all their games on their home court
Orlando Magic outscored Cleveland Cavaliers by 27 points in the third quarter of Game 4 in NBA playoffs
In the NBA playoffs, Game 4 between the Orlando Magic and Cleveland Cavaliers saw an unexpected turn of events. The Magic, who had been struggling in the series, unleashed a third-quarter onslaught on the Cavaliers, outscoring them by 27 points and taking a decisive lead.
Assistant coaches Dale Osbourne and Jesse Mermuys led the charge for Orlando during halftime. Their strategic adjustments paid off as the Magic defense held Cleveland to just 4-of-18 shooting in the third quarter, while their offense scored an impressive 37 points.
The Cavs, who had previously dominated with their defense and rebounding, seemed to forget about these key factors. They were caught off guard by Orlando's comeback and failed to respond effectively.
Cavs guard Donovan Mitchell, who had been a standout player in the series up until this point, was held scoreless in the second half. The Cavs bench also underperformed, being outscored by Orlando's bench by a margin of 43-15.
The Magic now lead the series 2-2, with both teams having won all their games on their home court. Game 5 will be a crucial matchup as the Cavs look to bounce back and regain control of the series.
The Cavs had a halftime lead but lost control in the third quarter.
The Cavs forgot about their defense and rebounding which were key factors in their previous victories.
Cavs underestimated the young Orlando team, not believing they would bounce back at home in Game 3.
Accuracy
]The Cavs lost control in the third quarter[
Cavs were outscored 37-10 and out-rebounded 16-7 in the third quarter alone.
Orlando turned up their defensive heat while Cavs struggled under pressure, leading to a significant drop in performance.
Deception
(30%)
The author makes editorializing statements and uses emotional manipulation by describing the Cavs' loss as an 'embarrassment' and a 'record-setting defeat'. The author also engages in selective reporting by focusing on the Cavs' poor performance in the third quarter while ignoring their strong performance in the first half. Additionally, there are multiple instances of sensationalism with phrases like 'utterly uncompetitive', 'wiped out so easily', and 'disturbing'.
To be utterly uncompetitive ...
The Cavs were outscored 37-10 in the third quarter.
It was an embarrassment.
The Cavs have no real flow on offense when the pressure hits.
Fallacies
(100%)
None Found At Time Of
Publication
Bias
(95%)
The author expresses a clear bias towards the Cavs' performance in the playoffs, using language such as 'disturbing', 'shattered', and 'embarrassment'. The author also repeatedly criticizes the Cavs for their lack of heart, poise, and concentration. Additionally, there is a disproportionate number of quotes reflecting the negative aspects of the Cavs' performance.
But to be utterly uncompetitive … To be outscored 72-26 combined in the last two third quarters … To be outscored 17-2 and 17-0 in two different runs in the THIRD quarter???
If you or a loved one has questions and needs to talk to a professional about gambling, call the Ohio Problem Gambling Helpline at 1-800-589-9966 or the National Council on Program Gambling Helpline (NCPG) at 1-800-522-4700 or visit 1800gambler.net for more information.
It was as if the Cavs thought they had control of the game. They forgot how about their relentless defense. They forgot about their rugged rebounding.
The Cavs have no real flow on offense when the pressure hits.
Their will was broken. Their confidence shattered.
The Magic outscore the Cavaliers 61-29 in the second half of Game 4, leading to a tie in the series at 2-2.
Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell fails to register a point in the final two quarters of Game 4.
The Cavs’ bench was outscored by Orlando’s by a margin of 43-15.
Accuracy
]The Magic outscore the Cavaliers 61-29 in the second half of Game 4[
The Cavs failed to score 100 points in seven consecutive playoff games
Deception
(80%)
The author uses emotional manipulation by quoting Mitchell's statements about his disappointment in himself and his team's offensive woes. The author also engages in selective reporting by focusing on Mitchell's poor performance in the second half and ignoring his strong first-half performance. Additionally, the author implies facts without providing sources when they state that 'The Cavaliers have failed to register 100 points in seven consecutive playoff games.'
They came together as a team and we were trying to do it individually, and we can’t do that, especially at this point in the season.
Just three games ago following the Cavs’ Game 1 victory, in which Mitchell scored 30 points, he proclaimed, ‘This is who I am.’ But ever since, he has struggled. And as he noted, especially in second halves.
You can’t have a drought like that.
The Cavaliers held a nine-point halftime lead, but a 17-7 Magic run in the first few minutes out of the break made that evaporate.
Fallacies
(85%)
The author uses an informal fallacy by making a dichotomous depiction of the Cavaliers' performance in the first and second halves. The author states that 'In the first half, he's on. But in the second half, he's off.' This oversimplifies Mitchell's performance and ignores other factors that may have contributed to his struggles in the second half.
]The Magic blitz the Cavaliers in the second half of Game 4 to tie the series 2-2.[
In the first half of Game 4, Mitchell put up 18 points and scored or assisted on 28 of the Cavs’ 60 points.
The message the Cavaliers kept conveying after the loss was that their two losses in Orlando boiled down to the Magic protecting their home court.
Cavaliers scored only 29 points in the second half of Game 4 against Magic
Magic shot 46% (12-for-26) on their 3-pointers and 56% overall (43-for-77) from the field in Game 4
Accuracy
][Cavaliers scored only 29 points in the second half of Game 4 against Magic][], [[Magic tied the series at 2-2 with a win in Game 4]], [[Cavs led halftime but scored only 10 points in third quarter, allowing Magic to take control]]
Deception
(80%)
The author makes several statements that could be considered deceptive or misleading. First, the title of the article states that the Cavs scored only 29 points in the second half, but fails to mention that they scored 51 points in the first half. This is an example of selective reporting and sensationalism. Additionally, when discussing Cleveland's poor shooting performance from behind the arc, the author mentions their percentage for both Game 3 and Game 4 without clarifying that it is a combined percentage for both games. This could be considered misleading as it may give readers the impression that Cleveland had an equally poor shooting performance in each game when that is not the case. Lastly, when discussing Franz Wagner's performance, the author states 'Wagner hadn’t scored more than 18 points in the series’ previous three games', but fails to mention that this was due to foul trouble which limited his playing time. This is an example of omitting important context and could be considered deceptive.
Cavs had no shooting touch
Wagner hadn’t scored more than 18 points in the series’ previous three games
The Cavs led 60–51 at halftime, but scored only 10 points in the third quarter.
Of the eight first-round NBA playoff series, the matchup between the Cleveland Cavaliers and Orlando Magic may have drawn the least interest through three games.
Franz Wagner had his best game of the series for Orlando. The third-year forward scored 34 points with 13 rebounds, shooting 13–for-17 from the field (and going 2–for-3 on 3-pointers)
During the offseason, Cleveland added Max Strus (career 37 percent 3-point shooter) and Georges Niang (40 percent) with the intention of improving their outside shooting.
Assistant coach Dale Osbourne coordinated the defense and assistant coach Jesse Mermuys guided the offense during halftime in the article's unique coaching strategy.
The Magic outscored the Cavaliers 37-10 and limited them to 4-of-18 shooting in the third quarter, which was a decisive factor in their comeback.
Accuracy
The Cavs lost control in the third quarter.
The Cavs were outscored 37-10 and out-rebounded 16-7 in the third quarter alone.
Cavs struggled with outside shooting, shooting only 24% (4-for-17) from behind the arc in Game 4 and series thus far.
Cavs lost to Orlando in game 4 of the playoffs with a score of 112-89, tying the series at 2-2.
Orlando had a high-scoring third quarter and took an 18-point lead going into the fourth quarter.
Cavs were cold from behind the 3-point arc in game 3, going only 8 of 34.
Rebounding will be a key factor in the game as Orlando outrebounded the Cavs in game 3.
Cavs' Dean Wade (knee) has been ruled out for the rest of Round 1 and guard Donovan Mitchell also had his knee (an issue for weeks) in ice after Game 3.
Orlando cannot go down 3-1 heading back to Cleveland as it would make the series a best-of-three, and the Cavaliers might really start feeling pressure at that point.
Accuracy
][The Cavs lost to Orlando in Game 4 of the first round of the playoffs with a score of 112-89.][] The Cavs had a halftime lead but lost control in the third quarter.
][The Cavs were outscored 37-10 and out-rebounded 16-7 in the third quarter alone.][] The Cavs struggled with outside shooting, shooting only 24% (4-for-17) from behind the arc in Game 4 and series thus far.
][The Magic shot 46% (12-for-26) on their 3-pointers and 56% overall (43-for-77) from the field in Game 4.]
