Cleveland Oh. – Later tonight, the Cavs will go into Game 2 looking to take a 2-0 lead over the Magic. With the Game 1 victory behind them, the Cavs now have to make adjustments. Some of it will come with better shooting from Max Strus and George Niang. If they will be on the court as much as they were in game 1, they will need to shoot the ball better for the Cavs to really play at an elite level. If they do, this could be a long series for the Magic.
All year the Magic have struggled shooting from the outside. In the playoffs, when things tighten up, it becomes more prevalent. It’s something the Cavs struggled with last year. It is the reason they went after Max Strus and George Niang. While those two combined to go 1-9 from outside in game one, both still had a positive impact on the court. Both were +13 during their time on court. Strus ended the game with nine rebounds. George made it difficult for Magic star Paolo Banchero to score.
Photo via Cavaliers
That’s what veterans do. They keep playing. After the game Saturday, coach JB Bickerstaff said, “I think that was a misnomer when he got here that George (Niang) wasn’t a defensive player. But time and time again, we see him in iso situations and do a great job. We know he is going to make shots and I guarantee we will be talking about how many threes George made before the series is over.”
Donovan Mitchell said “It’s not always going to be 20-point fourth quarter Max. tonight he was +13 and he didn’t shoot well and had 5 turnovers. But to still be +13 with 5 turnovers speaks volumes about his voice and how he plays.” The Cavs know they will need these two players more as the series goes on. It doesn’t seem worrisome at all that they didn’t shoot the ball great in game 1. But with Darius Garland dealing with back issues, scoring from the outside will be a must. The Cavs know this and will do everything they can to get Strus and Niang going early. After all, … this is why they are here.
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