
Orlando Magic Snap Cleveland Cavaliers’ 16-Game Winning Streak Behind Stifling Defense and Clutch Shooting
Whenever the time comes to rank the all-time most impressive regular season victories in Orlando Magic history, it will be easy to not miss the one that occurred on Sunday in Cleveland in front of a nationally televised audience.
In the finale of a five-game, 10-day road trip, the Magic left no stone unturned to win 108-103 and snap the Cavs’ 16-game winning streak.
“The toughness that they have, the resiliency that they have to not let the last game spill over into this game,” Magic head coach Jamahl Mosley said of what this win said about his group. “We took the good things from last game and learned from them and we were able to apply it tonight, understanding what we are capable of doing on any given night. And that’s what I think you saw with this group.”
Contributions came from everywhere, especially down the stretch. Paolo Banchero, who stuffed the stat sheet with 24 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists, hit a go-ahead mid-range jumper with 45 seconds left. In addition to their smothering defense, Franz Wagner and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope each knocked down a pair of free throws in the final 31 seconds to seal the victory.
Earlier in the second half, the star of the show was Anthony Black, who buried a pair of 3-pointers and was sensational on defense, causing a few Cleveland turnovers and forcing them into difficult shots.
“I tried to bring energy on the defensive end, especially in the third quarter,” he said. “Just felt like it was a good spot to kind of press and try to get some steals – me and Gary (Harris), we pressed them in the third. Tried to make open shots, make the right play, and just being in the right position on defense.”
The Magic, who trailed by as much as 13 in the first half, outscored the Cavs 61-43 after intermission.
Wagner finished with 22 points, Black had 17 points, Wendell Carter Jr. recorded a double-double with 16 points and 14 rebounds and Caldwell-Pope tallied 15 points.
While the Magic have had several terrific defensive performances this season, Sunday’s may have been their best. For just the third time this season, the Cavs were held under 105 points and their 25 percent 3-point shooting was their second worst mark of the year.
Although Donovan Mitchell had a few good stretches, he was held in check, largely because of Orlando’s defense. The six-time NBA All-Star missed his last six shots and was 9-of-28 from the field and 3-of-14 from beyond the arc.
“Our defense was great,” Banchero said. “We were getting to their shooters, flying around, covering for each other. Then on offense, we just made enough plays, trusted each other, guys stepped up when they were called on to make big shots after big shots. It was a full team effort.”
Aside from the game in Houston, the Magic shot it well from beyond the arc throughout the road trip, including in Cleveland where they made 41.9. percent of their 31 attempts.
As Mosley, Banchero and Black all emphasized afterwards, this is a win that can completely change the trajectory of their team’s season and give them the confidence to not just make the playoffs but make some noise should they get there.
The next opportunity to build on this victory will come Wednesday when they play the Rockets at 7 p.m. in Orlando at Kia Center.