Faster Start Imperative For Magic in Game 6 vs. Cavs

ORLANDO — The start of games has proven to be a thorn in the side of the Orlando Magic late in the regular season, and the slow starts have now carried over into the playoffs.

Of the five games played, the Magic have trailed after the first quarter in all but one, including two when they were down by double-digits. In Game 5, Orlando trailed 33-23 after the first quarter and lost by the slimmest of margins 104-103 on Tuesday at the Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.

With Orlando's struggles to start the game, coach Jamahl Mosley noted the emphasis on starting strong in Game 6.

"That's always been a focus," Mosley said. "We've talked about that the start of games for the past couple of games going into the playoffs [and] our focus of how we start the game the right way. Our energy, our intensity, our focus level, that has to continue to pick up."

With Orlando's backs against the wall in Game 6, a slow start could make all the difference. While being back at home will likely buoy the Magic's performance and could lead to a better start, how they begin the game could be the difference between forcing a Game 7 or their season coming to a close on Friday.

The Magic face the Cavs at 7 p.m. ET on Friday at the Kia Center.

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