Sports

Magic hand Cavaliers first loss since Feb. 4.

Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr

  • The Orlando Magic defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers 108-103 on Sunday, ending the Cavaliers’ 16-game win streak.
  • Paolo Banchero led the Magic with 24 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists, recording his seventh double-double of the season.
  • The Cavaliers missed five 3-point attempts in the final 30 seconds of the game.

The Cleveland Cavaliers’ 16-game win streak is no more.

The Orlando Magic defeated the Cavs 108-103 on Sunday at Rocket Arena in Cleveland, handing the Cavaliers their first loss since Feb. 4.

Sunday’s game marked a rematch of the 2024 first-round playoff series between the two teams. The series went to seven games with the Cavs advancing, 4-3. The Magic lost each playoff game in Cleveland, but Sunday was a different story.

Paolo Banchero led the way for the Magic with a near triple-double, finishing with a game-high 24 points, 11 rebounds, seven assists, one steal and one block, marking his seventh double-double of the season. Banchero has a streak of his own going: He’s scored 20-plus points in 10 consecutive games, marking the longest streak of his career. 

How Magic beat Cavaliers

The Cavs had a 60-47 halftime lead, but the Magic went on a 16-6 run to take the lead 80-79 with 1:10 remaining in the third quarter, marking Orlando’s first lead since the opening minutes of the game.

Orlando’s Kentavious Caldwell-Pope tied the contest 100-100 with 1:41 remaining by knocking down a 3-pointer. The Magic closed the game on an 8-3 run to secure the win and snap the Cavs’ win streak.

The Cavaliers had opportunities down the stretch, but couldn’t knock down much-needed shots from beyond the arc. Cleveland missed five 3-point attempts in the final 30 seconds of the game and collectively went 10-of-40 from three, compared to 13-of-31 shooting from beyond the arc for the Magic. Cleveland had the advantage in the paint, outscoring the Magic 52-30, but Orlando had 16 fast-break points, compared to Cleveland’s four.

Orlando Magic stats

Four of the five starters for the Magic had 10 or more points in the win.

Banchero had 24 points, shooting 6-of-22 from the field and 3-of-8 from three. Franz Wagner had 22 points and eight rebounds. Wendell Carter Jr. recorded 16 points, 14 rebounds and one assist, while Caldwell-Pope had 15 points and three assists.

Cleveland Cavaliers stats

Four of the Cavaliers’ starters had 10 or more points in the loss.

Donovan Mitchell had a team-high 23 points (9-of-29 field, 3-of-14 three), six rebounds and five assists. Jarrett Allen had a double-double, with 20 points and 12 rebounds. Darius Garland added 19 points, six rebounds and four assists. Max Strus recorded 10 points and six rebounds.

Magic schedule

The Magic will host the Houston Rockets on Wednesday at 7 p.m. ET.

Cavaliers schedule

The Cavaliers hit the road to face the Los Angeles Clippers on Tuesday at 10:30 p.m. ET.

The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fastDownload for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.

This post appeared first on USA TODAY