Cavs show disturbing lack of heart and poise in loss to Orlando - Terry Pluto

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CLEVELAND, Ohio - Their will was broken. Their confidence shattered. Their concentration was replaced by lots of distant stares of deep doubt.

That's what happened to the Cavs in Game 4 of the first round of the playoffs as they were spanked 112-89 in Orlando Saturday afternoon.

The big picture is this best-of-seven series is tied at 2-2. Both teams won all their games on their home court.

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I keep wondering how the Cavs went from a 60-51 halftime lead to losing the game in the third quarter.

It was as if the Cavs thought they had control of the game. They forgot how about their relentless defense. They forgot about their rugged rebounding. They forgot how hard they worked to take that nine-point lead the half.

Those were the same traits that fueled their two victories in Cleveland.

The Cavs keep underestimating this young Orlando team. They didn't seem to believe Orlando would bounce back at home in Game 3.

The result wasn't a Cleveland loss, it was an embarrassment. It was a record-setting 121-83 defeat - the most lopsided playoff loss in franchise history.

Now … this.

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THEY HAD A WINNING FORMULA

In the first half, Donovan Mitchell had 18 points. He was 5 of 10 from the field, perfect on seven free throws. He had five assists and controlled the tempo of the game.

Jarrett Allen scored 16 points, Evan Mobley had 12. The two big men scored often inside. The Cavs harassed Orlando into 11 turnovers.

This is the winning formula, even with the Cavs struggling with their 3-point shooting (2 of 7).

But like magic, it was gone in the second half.

I don't think it was due to any major adjustment made by Orlando's coaching staff. It simply was Orlando turning up the defensive heat and the Cavs wilting.

All of these games have been won not simply by skill, but also by sweat. Who was willing to work harder?

WHERE'S THE POISE?

Orlando is growing up right in front of our eyes, the Cavs are shrinking.

Despite what has happened in these two games, it's not as if Orlando is far more talented than Cleveland.

As I write this, I look at my notes. The Cavs were outscored 37-10 in the third quarter. They were out-rebounded 16-7. They were out-hustled seemingly on every play. Cleveland shot 22% from the field, compared to 56% for the Magic.

Losing in Orlando - even both games - is not a complete shock. The Magic have talent and they owned the NBA's third-best home record.

But to be utterly uncompetitive …

To be outscored 72-26 combined in the last two third quarters …

To be outscored 17-2 and 17-0 in two different runs in the THIRD quarter???

The Cavs being wiped out so easily in back-to-back games in Orlando in the playoffs points to something disturbing.

The Cavs have no real flow on offense when the pressure hits. The fact that Orlando keeps turning up the defensive intensity to force Mitchell to pass the ball is no surprise. Any team would do that to the Cavs, at least until Cleveland could counter it.

They never did in Orlando.

It's often a question of hanging together as a team when being knocked down. The Cavs haven't shown that in this series. Now, can that change in Game 5 in Cleveland Tuesday night ... or not.

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