Cavs shut off Magic’s only offensive lifeline in dominant Game 2 win

Jokes and proper phrasing aside, Bickerstaff made it clear that there was one thing that he was frustrated within his team from the Game 1, turnovers.

“We turned the ball over too much,” admitted Bickerstaff. “You look back and look at our offensive efficiency on possessions where we didn’t turn the ball over, and it was really, really good.”

“You throw in the turnovers and it just became below average offensively. So, we have to take care of the basketball and understand where our outlets are, what they’re trying to do with their pressure, how they’re picking us up, full court, all those things,” Bickerstaff continued.  “We have to make sure we take care of the basketball offensively and we’ll give ourselves a better chance.”

Overall, Cleveland had 18 turnovers in Game 1 against the Magic, which helped lead to 19 of Orlando’s total points. For a series that’s been a defensive slugfest, the Cavs were not looking to give Orlando any opportunities to have a competitive chance.

So heading into Game 2, although the Cavs finished the game with 14 turnovers, they still made sure to enforce their will defensively. Despite Cleveland coughing the ball up so much, even if it was less than last game, the Cavs still limited the Magic to fifteen points off of those miscues.

For a team like Orlando that already consistently struggles on offense, not having any true advantage against a Cleveland team that has limited them to 83.5 points per game is a death sentence. That stifling approach to all defensive components has been the Cavs’ recipe for success and is why they’re up 2-0 in the first round of the Eastern Conference Playoffs.

In a perfect world, Bickerstaff would enjoy it if Cleveland didn’t turn over the ball so much. But with the Cavs defending their home court and imposing their will on the Magic, especially with how Isaac Okoro kept forcing so many Orlando turnovers, Cleveland is riding a ton of positive momentum heading into their two upcoming road games in Orlando.

Sure, it hasn’t been pretty basketball to watch since the Magic have been grinding with the Cavs defensively, with Cleveland struggling at times to get the cleanest looks on offense. But, if Orlando has its only true offensive lifeline, then this series could be over sooner than expected, especially since the playoffs truly begin once the road team wins.