The No. 4 seed Cleveland Cavaliers will play the No. 5 seed Orlando Magic in Game 1 of the opening round of the NBA Playoffs at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse on Saturday.
The Cavaliers finished 48-34 during the regular season, while the Magic's record was 47–35. Cleveland holds home-court advantage in the series and hosts games 1, 2, 5, and 7 in the seven-game series, with Orlando hosting games 3, 4, and 6.
Cleveland started the season on a somewhat dampened note, playing just over .500 in their first 25 games. But the rise of Donovan Mitchell carried them back into the fray, and they have remained there ever since.
The Magic, meanwhile, only clinched a spot in the NBA Playoffs with a 113-88 win over the Milwaukee Bucks last Sunday, securing their place in the postseason for the 17th time in program history and the first time since 2020.
The winner of this first-round series advances to the Eastern Conference Semifinals to face the winner of the series between the top-seeded Boston Celtics and the eventual No. 8 seed.
Here, GOAL brings you everything you need to know about how to watch the match, including what TV channel to watch it on, streaming details, and more.
Cleveland Cavaliers vs Orlando Magic: Date and Tip-Off Time
The Cleveland Cavaliers and the Orlando Magic will face each other in a highly anticipated NBA game on Saturday, April 20, 2024, at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland, Ohio, with the start time set at 1:00 p.m. ET/ 10:00 a.m. PT for fans in the US.
| Date | Saturday, April 20, 2024 |
| Kick-off Time | 1:00 pm ET / 10:00 am PT |
| Arena | Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse |
| Location | Cleveland, Ohio |
How to watch Cleveland Cavaliers vs Orlando Magic Online - TV Channels and Live Streams
Fans can catch the action between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Orlando Magic live on ESPN.
If you don't have cable TV, the best way to watch every NBA playoff game online is with DirecTV Stream Choice. Best of all, DirecTV Stream packages all start with a five-day free trial. You’ll want the Choice package to get all the NBA playoff channels, which costs $98.99 for the first three months after the free trial and then $108.99 a month afterward.
Cleveland Cavaliers vs Orlando Magic Team News
Cleveland Cavaliers Team News
The Cavs likely won’t be at full strength ahead of their first-round playoff series opener against the Orlando Magic. Versatile forward Dean Wade, who was sidelined for more than a month for personal reasons and a sprained knee, did not train on Wednesday afternoon at Cleveland Clinic Courts.
On the other hand, the hosts will welcome back sharpshooter Sam Merrill, who missed the final three games of the regular season because of a neck strain but practised without issue on Wednesday.
Entering the series, the Cavaliers will have the undisputed best scorer on the court with Donovan Mitchell. Mitchell has been a huge miss for the Cavs all year. He appeared in just 55 games, the fewest in his career bar one season. Mitchell averages 26.6 PPG, 6.1 APG, 5.1 RPG, and 1.8 steals on an effective field goal percentage of .545% (second most in his career).
If Mitchell can do his thing, combined with the offense of big men Darius Mobley and Evan Garland and the interior play of Jarrett Allen (16.5 PPG, 10.5 RPG), the Cavs' dominant offense may well blow the Magic out of the water.
Orlando Magic Team News
Orlando Magic have a clean bill of health, with no fresh injury concerns to cope with ahead of the Game 1 against the Cavaliers.
Former No. 1 overall pick Paolo Banchero is the biggest reason the Magic made the playoffs this season. Banchero is averaging 22.6 PPG, 6.9 RPG, and 5.4 APG as an all-around stat-stuffer for the Magic.
Jalen Suggs has also been crucial to the Magic's success this year. He deserves to be on an All-NBA defense team this season. As the Magic's point of attack, he has been menacing for opposing offenses and will be tasked with containing Mitchell here.
Head-to-Head Records
The teams split their regular season series, 2-2, with each team winning one of two games at home and on the road. Here is the record of the last five meetings between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Orlando Magic in NBA matches:
| Date | Match | Competition |
|---|---|---|
| 23/02/24 | Cleveland Cavaliers 109-116 Orlando Magic | NBA |
| 23/01/24 | Orlando Magic 99-126 Cleveland Cavaliers | NBA |
| 12/12/23 | Orlando Magic 104-94 Cleveland Cavaliers | NBA |
| 07/12/23 | Cleveland Cavaliers 121-111 Orlando Magic | NBA |
| 13/10/23 | Cleveland Cavaliers 105-108 Orlando Magic | NBA Preseason |