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Paolo Banchero scores 27 points, Magic overcome Mitchell's 50 to beat Cavs 103-96 and force Game 7
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Cleveland Cavaliers guard Max Strus, left, passes the ball around Orlando Magic guard Joe Ingles (7) during the first half of Game 6 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series, Friday, May 3, 2024, in Orlando, Fla. - photo by AP Photo/John Raoux
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Paolo Banchero scored 10 of his 27 points in the fourth quarter, helping the Orlando Magic overcome Donovan Mitchell's 50 points and hold off the Cleveland Cavaliers 103-96 on Friday night to force a decisive Game 7 in their first-round NBA playoff series. Three nights after scoring 39 points on 14-of-24 shooting in a one-point road loss that left the Magic on the brink of elimination, the 21-year-old Banchero put his team on his back and carried them to their biggest win in years. Franz Wagner had 26 points and Jalen Suggs made six 3-pointers and finished with 22 for the Magic, who pulled away in the closing minutes, with Banchero hitting a 3-pointer that put Orlando ahead for good at 92-89.