Cavaliers forward Georges Niang looked to inbound the ball to guard Darius Garland late in the third quarter during Saturday’s Game 4 at Kia Center.
The outstretched arm of Magic forward Jonathan Isaac forced a poor pass from Niang and Isaac was able chase after the loose ball for the steal.
Moments later, Isaac buried a 3-pointer from the right side of the court to put Orlando ahead by 12 points over Cleveland, which entered the contest leading the series 2-1.
Isaac’s long-range bucket was one of four he hit at home when Jamahl Mosley’s squad ran over the Cavs in the second half to tie up the best-of-seven playoff series at 2-2 entering Tuesday’s Game 5 at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse (Bally Sports Florida, TBD).
“If you make shots like that with that type of swag, it’s really hard to beat that,” Magic center Moe Wagner said of Isaac’s triple that was part of a larger Orlando wave of scoring in the third frame. “It’s easy to say that now because it went in but that’s how games go sometimes.”
Added Isaac: “It was kind of just play after play and we were able to whittle them down.”
What to look for going into pivotal Game 5 between Magic and Cavaliers — and beyond | Analysis
The ultimate X-factor off the bench for the Magic during the regular season, Isaac started the first two contests of the first-round matchup at Cleveland that the Cavs won.
Mosley then made the decision to move Isaac back to the usual bench spot and start Wendell Carter Jr. (who started at center most of year) for Games 3 and 4 that the Magic went onto win.
The lineup change paid off for all involved, but especially Isaac.
Although his time on the court decreased — he averaged 24.1 minutes in the first two games and 17.8 the last two — his impact increased.
His individual net rating improved from minus-21.7 during Games 1 and 2 to plus-64.0 in Games 3 and 4, largely due to his stout defense and a jump in shooting.
Isaac’s effective field goal percentage — a formula that adjusts for 3-pointers being worth more than made 2-pointers — ballooned from 36.7% in the first two games to 91.7% the last two.
Coming off the bench, his level of play skyrocketed when the Magic needed it the most. Orlando became the first team in NBA history to trail a series 0-2 and then win Games 3-4 by a combined 60+ points.
“To go down 0-2 with them, it kind of put everything on the line for us in that Game 3 and then again in Game 4,” Isaac said.
Added Mosley, who finished second in NBA Coach of the Year voting Sunday: “This group showed a tremendous amount of poise to be able to bounce back and understand our defense carries us and it allows us to get out and get easy baskets on the offensive end.”
The Game 4 victory gives the Magic a chance to win the series at home Friday in Game 6, but only if they can first get the job done on the road Tuesday.
“I feel like we’re in the better position out of the two teams right now,” Isaac said. “They’re going home thinking, ‘We have to take care of homecourt.’ So the momentum is in our favor.”
One of only four players on Orlando’s roster with postseason experience entering the playoffs, Isaac is confident that he and Magic can take what worked at home to Cleveland.
“We’ll go out there, shots are going to fall, we’ll have a great game, we’ll win that one and come home and finish it off,” the forward said.
Jason Beede can be reached at jbeede@orlandosentinel.com
Up Next …
Magic vs. Cavaliers, Game 5
When: Tuesday at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, TBD
How to watch: Bally Sports Florida
