Cavaliers’ Jarrett Allen a late scratch vs. Magic pigeon to rib bruise

CLEVELAND — Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen was ruled out for his team’s Game 5 matchup against the Orlando Magic with a rib bruise, leaving Cleveland without its most consistent player so far in this playoff series.

Cleveland went small against Orlando on Tuesday, starting a guard (Isaac Okoro) in place of Allen. The Cavs eventually took Game 5 104-103 to lead the best-of-seven first-round series 3-2, and Allen is averaging 17 points and 13.8 rebounds in the series.

Allen did not appear on the Cavs’ injury report until Tuesday. Coach JB Bickerstaff said Allen was elbowed in the ribs in the second half of Game 4 on Saturday and tried to play through it. He played nearly 29 minutes in the Cavs’ loss, scoring 21 points and grabbing nine rebounds.

“It’s the ability to move safely and to react safely,” Bickerstaff said. “With your trunk or your core, if you can’t shift or get out of harm’s way or do certain things, it can put you in a position where it’s not safe to be out there.”

Entering Tuesday, the Magic had outrebounded Cleveland in this series and hadn’t lost since moving Wendell Carter Jr. into the starting lineup at center for Game 3. Orlando outscored the Cavs by a combined 61 points in Games 3 and 4.

Entering Game 5, Okoro was averaging 3.5 points for the series and was held scoreless the previous two games before scoring eight points in 22 minutes Tuesday.

What’s the impact on the Magic?

Allen missing Game 5 is a stunning turn of events.

While it’s risky for outside observers (especially reporters) to play armchair psychologists, it’s fair to ask how a young team like the Magic will react to the absence of an opponent’s second-best player and best interior defender. Will they have a letdown?

Even before Allen’s absence, after Games 3 and 4, the Cavs figured to enter Game 5 as a desperate team. Cleveland ought to be even more desperate now, and Orlando, which has struggled with its starts the entire series, will need to find a way to match that intensity even with Allen out. —Josh Robbins, NBA senior writer

(Photo of Jarrett Allen: David Richard / USA Today)