NBA considers radical “3-2-1” draft lottery to combat tanking
The NBA is considering a new 3-2-1 draft lottery aimed at punishing tanking, but critics warn it could keep bad teams stuck at the bottom.
There’s nothing quite like Game 7 in the NBA.
Fortunately for fans watching Sunday, May 3, two of those games will be between the No. 1 Detroit Pistons and the No. 8 Orlando Magic, and between the No. 4 Cleveland Cavaliers and the No. 5 Toronto Raptors.
In win-or-go-home scenarios, teams tend to elevate their play and compete with desperation. Perhaps no team feels that more than Orlando, which held a 3-1 series lead before allowing the Pistons to win their second straight game. The most recent came after a spectacular choke job in Game 6 when the Magic made just 4-of-37 from the floor in the second half.
The winners and losers of Sunday’s Game 7 are as follows:
Click here for continued updates on scores and stats as the Cavaliers host the Raptors in Game 7.
Toronto begins work in paint
Raptors point guard Jamal Shehed had a big first half with 14 points, and All-Star Scottie Barnes also scored 14 points. However, it was important for Toronto’s offense to attack inside the paint and get a higher chance of shooting.
The Raptors had a 20-8 first-half advantage in points in the paint, but it had two effects. It was a confidence booster to get points early on, and it created space for perimeter shooters to get open lines of sight after the driving player kicked the ball away.
Cade Cunningham
This is what a Most Valuable Player candidate should do. After dropping a team-high 32 points in Sunday’s Game 7, Detroit averaged 36.3 points per game in its final three first-round games (all elimination games).
Cunningham also had 12 assists and limited turnovers to just four assists.
Detroit finds second option in Tobias Harris
He exploded with 17 points in the second quarter, totaling 19 points in the first half alone. Harris was the player who sparked the massive scoring at the end of the first half, but he didn’t stop there.
Harris steadily knocked down shots and provided an outlet for Case Cunningham. When Magic tried to blitz him with extra body, Harris took advantage of that and knocked down the shot. Considering the magnitude of Game 7, it may have been the best game of his career.
Harris finished with 30 points on 11-of-18 shooting, nine rebounds, three steals and two assists.
jaylen duren
It was a good sign for Detroit that Duren, an All-Star for the first time this season, had a productive first half. Duren has struggled to make an impact this series, with his average performance well below his regular season total.
He was active on the glass and capitalized on second chances, scoring 15 points on 5-of-9 shooting. He added 15 rebounds, but could be more aggressive in finding his mid-range stroke going into the second round.
Paolo Banchero
He set the tone for Orlando, scoring 11 points and making his first three 3-point attempts. Banchero aggressively targeted shots, and as Detroit turned its defensive attention to Banchero, he tried to find his teammates.
He finished the game with 38 points on 14-of-25 shooting, nine rebounds, and six assists. His biggest problem was that his teammates simply couldn’t make shots.
Cavaliers come back (again)
Cleveland was a top-10 team in protecting the ball during the regular season, averaging 14 turnovers per game. By the end of the first half against the Raptors, they had 13 giveaways, almost hitting that average.
Toronto scored 14 points off those turnovers, so having better possession in the second half is paramount for Cleveland. Another problem that makes this even worse is that both Donovan Mitchell and James Harden, Cleveland’s two top scorers, are playing a little passive offensively and are missing shooting opportunities.
Turnovers have been a problem for Cleveland throughout the series. That could be the biggest problem sending the Cavaliers home.
jamal mosley
The Magic’s head coach will face considerable criticism this offseason for squandering Orlando’s 3-1 series lead and Game 6 collapse. Mosley didn’t do enough to stop Detroit’s runs and momentum during key games in the series.
To be clear, the Pistons, the No. 1 seed in the conference, are a very talented team, so they were expected to improve their play after the stakes were the highest.
Franz Wagner’s right calf strain severely hampered Orlando’s offensive portfolio, but its execution still lacked creativity and flow. Throughout the second half of the series, Paolo Banchero’s teammates didn’t do enough to generate any offense.
Magic role player in the first half
Orlando’s other starters combined to miss the first six shots of Game 7, and Magic players other than Banchero made just 8 of 27 (29.6%) in the first half.
Banchero made nine field goals in the first half, but no other Orlando player made more than two field goals.
jalen suggs
Suggs, the starting point guard, was the obvious choice as Orlando needed someone to shore up their offense. Still, Suggs struggled again on Sunday, completing what was a very tough series for him.
In Orlando’s final four games of the first round, Suggs shot just 8-of-41 (19.5%). Deep down it got even worse. From Games 4 to 7 of the series, Suggs shot just 4-of-26 (15.4%) from 3-point range.
Magic turnover in the first half
Orlando couldn’t afford any careless possessions in the first half, and a turnover battle before intermission that put them down 9-3 was the main reason Detroit ended the second quarter on a 20-6 run. Not surprisingly, the Pistons led 12-3 in points off turnovers at halftime.
That helped set the tone for the rest of the game.
