Magic crumble in second half, lose Game 7 despite Paolo Bachero's 38 points and stellar series

CLEVELAND (AP) — Paolo Banchero's first taste of the NBA playoffs ended bitterly.

The Orlando Magic couldn't finish what they started.

After opening an 18-point lead in the first half, the Magic caved under pressure as the Cleveland Cavaliers rallied for a 106-94 win in Game 7 on Sunday to end a back-and-forth series in which home court meant everything.

Banchero scored 38 points — his third game with at least 30 in the series — but it wasn't enough as the Magic couldn't stop Donovan Mitchell when they needed to and had their season end in disappointment.

It was quite an experience for the sensational 21-year-old Banchero, who said Game 7 was more than he imagined.

“It was a hell of an environment and probably the most intense game I’ve ever played in my life,” said the 2022 No. 1 overall pick. "Every possession, the toll it takes on your body and your mind is immense.”

As the Cavs chipped away at Orlando's lead in the second half, Banchero said the Cleveland crowd was so loud that it was difficult for the Magic to call out offensive plays. He couldn't hear the instructions he and his teammates were getting from coach Jamahl Mosley and his staff.

Still, the Magic were only down seven points going into the fourth before Mitchell, who finished with 39 and scored 89 combined in Games 6 and 7, put Orlando away.

It was a painful way for Orlando's breakout season to end. The Magic won just 34 games a year ago and there weren't many who predicted they would be a No. 5 seed heading into the playoffs.

Although the end was tough to swallow, one of the league's youngest teams gained invaluable experience.

“I walked in the locker room and said this sucks,” Mosley said. "To be up 18 and have a chance to close it out, it doesn’t feel good. But sometimes painful losses are blessings in disguise. I know it sucks right now, but I couldn’t be more proud of them.”

Mosley was adamant that his team didn't lose its cool or fold.

“I don’t think there was a loss of composure,” he said. "They went on a heck of a run and we got stagnant a little bit. There was no whining, no moaning, no yelling. Our guys were focused on how to get the next shot.”

While Banchero did his part, Franz Wagner and Jalen Suggs shot a combined 3 for 28. Suggs, who sustained what appeared to be a serious ankle injury in the opener, was just 2 of 10 on 3-pointers.

“We got good looks and they just didn’t fall,” Suggs said. "I think we could live with that because we gave all we could. I’m sorry we couldn’t pull this one out.”

Wagner, who made bit shots and got under the Cavs' skin throughout the series, was tough on himself.

“I expect a lot more from myself," he said. "It sucks to end the season like this. I feel like I let my team down a little bit.”

Banchero had Wagner's back and the rest of his teammates.

“This game doesn’t define him and it doesn’t define us,” he said. "He didn’t let anybody down. Sometimes, this happens. I’ve been in the same situation. I know we’ll be back.”

This was all new for Orlando, which will have its entire core back next season and is expected to be active in free agency.

Next year will bring higher expectations, but the Magic should be ready for them.

“We won’t be lacking this experience next season in the playoffs,” said center Jonathan Isaac. "We’ll have this on our resume and have a chip on our shoulder to get back.”

Banchero showed why he's one of the league's rising stars, a player just beginning to scratch his potential. He averaged 27.0 points and 8.6 rebounds in his first playoff series, and in Game 7 tied a team record with 15 free throws.

“Special,” Mosley said of his young star. "He wanted every ounce of what they were throwing at him. There is a reason why he’s an All-Star and is going to be All-NBA. He’s going to show up in big games.”

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA

Orlando Magic guard Markelle Fultz (20) and Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchel (45) watch the ball in the first half of Game 7 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series Sunday, May 5, 2024, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

Orlando Magic head coach Jamahl Mosley gestures in the first half of Game 7 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series against the Cleveland Cavaliers, Sunday, May 5, 2024, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell, right, grabs a rebound and is fouled by Orlando Magic guard Gary Harris, left, in the second half of Game 7 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series, Sunday, May 5, 2024, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero, center, falls between Cleveland Cavaliers forward Evan Mobley, left, and teammate Markelle Fultz (20) after committing an offensive foul on Isaac Okoro in the second half of Game 7 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series, Sunday, May 5, 2024, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero (5) is defended by Cleveland Cavaliers forward Evan Mobley and forward Isaac Okoro, right, in the second half of Game 7 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series, Sunday, May 5, 2024, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero (5) drives around Cleveland Cavaliers forward Isaac Okoro, right, in the second half of Game 7 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series, Sunday, May 5, 2024, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero, center, drives to the basket between Cleveland Cavaliers forward Evan Mobley, left, ad Isaac Okoro (35) in the second half of Game 7 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series, Sunday, May 5, 2024, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

JERUSALEM (AP) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is under mounting pressure from his own War Cabinet and his country's closest ally over postwar plans for Gaza, even as the war with Hamas shows no sign of ending.

On Saturday, Benny Gantz, a member of the War Cabinet and Netanyahu's main political rival, said he would leave the government on June 8 if it did not formulate a new war plan including an international, Arab and Palestinian administration to handle civilian affairs in Gaza.

Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, the third member of the Cabinet, has also called for a plan for Palestinian administration, and said in a speech this week that he wouldn't agree to Israel governing Gaza itself.

The United States has meanwhile called for a revitalized Palestinian Authority to govern Gaza with assistance from Saudi Arabia and other Arab states ahead of eventual statehood. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan is expected to push those plans when he visits Israel on Sunday.

So far, Netanyahu has brushed them all off. But Gantz' ultimatum could reduce his margin for maneuver.

Netanyahu has ruled out any role for the Palestinian Authority in Gaza, saying he plans to hand civil responsibilities over to local Palestinians unaffiliated with it or Hamas. But he has also said that it's impossible to make any such plans until Hamas is defeated because it has threatened anyone who cooperates with Israel.

Netanyahu's government is also deeply opposed to Palestinian statehood.

In a statement issued after the ultimatum, Netanyahu said Gantz' conditions would amount to "defeat for Israel, abandoning most of the hostages, leaving Hamas intact and establishing a Palestinian state.”

Netanyahu added, however, that he still thought the emergency government was important for prosecuting the war, and that he “expects Gantz to clarify his positions to the public.”

Gantz' departure would leave Netanyahu even more beholden to his far-right coalition allies, including National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who could more easily bring down the government if he doesn't meet their demands.

They have called for Israel to reoccupy Gaza, encourage the “voluntary emigration” of Palestinians from the territory and reestablish Jewish settlements that were removed in 2005.

Critics of Netanyahu, including thousands who have joined weekly protests in recent months, accuse him of prolonging the war for his own political survival. Gantz, who brought his centrist party into the government days after the Oct. 7 attack that triggered the war, warned Netanyahu not to “choose the path of fanatics and lead the entire nation to the abyss.”

Netanyahu denies such accusations, saying he is focused on defeating Hamas and that elections would distract from the war effort.

Polls indicate Netanyahu would be driven from office if new elections were held, with Gantz most likely to replace him. That would probably mark the end of Netanyahu's long political career and expose him to prosecution over longstanding corruption charges.

Israeli media have reported growing discontent within the country's security establishment over the course of the war, with officials warning that the lack of any such planning was turning tactical victories into strategic defeat.

With no one else to govern Gaza, Hamas has repeatedly regrouped, even in the hardest-hit areas that Israel previously said it had cleared. Heavy fighting has erupted in recent days in the built-up Jabaliya refugee camp in the north and the Zeitoun neighborhood on the outskirts of Gaza City.

Israeli troops are meanwhile pushing into parts of the southern city of Rafah in what they say is a limited operation. The fighting there has displaced some 800,000 people, many who had already fled from other areas, and severely hindered the delivery of humanitarian aid.

Indirect talks mediated by the United States, Qatar and Egypt aimed at a cease-fire and the release of scores of hostages held by Hamas meanwhile appear at a standstill, with many of the hostages' families and their supporters blaming the Israeli government.

“Something has gone wrong," Gantz said in his address. “Essential decisions were not taken. Acts of leadership required to ensure victory were not carried out. A small minority has taken over the command bridge of the Israeli ship and is leading it toward a wall of rocks.”

Police use water cannon to disperse demonstrators during a protest against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government, and calling for the release of hostages held in the Gaza Strip by the Hamas militant group, in Tel Aviv, Israel, Saturday, May 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Leo Correa)

Police try to disperse demonstrators blocking a road during a protest against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government, and calling for the release of hostages held in the Gaza Strip by the Hamas militant group, in Tel Aviv, Israel, Saturday, May 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Leo Correa)

Police use water cannon to disperse demonstrators during a protest against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government, and calling for the release of hostages held in the Gaza Strip by the Hamas militant group, in Tel Aviv, Israel, Saturday, May 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Leo Correa)

Police try to disperse demonstrators blocking a road during a protest against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government, and calling for the release of hostages held in the Gaza Strip by the Hamas militant group, in Tel Aviv, Israel, Saturday, May 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Leo Correa)

Police use water cannon to disperse demonstrators blocking a road during a protest against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government, and calling for the release of hostages held in the Gaza Strip by the Hamas militant group, in Tel Aviv, Israel, Saturday, May 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Leo Correa)

Police use water cannon to disperse demonstrators blocking a road during a protest against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government, and calling for the release of hostages held in the Gaza Strip by the Hamas militant group, in Tel Aviv, Israel, Saturday, May 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Leo Correa)

Demonstrators block a road during a protest against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government and calling for the release of hostages held in the Gaza Strip by the Hamas militant group, in Tel Aviv, Israel, Saturday, May 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Leo Correa)

Police use water cannon to disperse demonstrators blocking a road during a protest against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government, and calling for the release of hostages held in the Gaza Strip by the Hamas militant group, in Tel Aviv, Israel, Saturday, May 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Leo Correa)