Magic defeat Cavaliers 104-94, hold them to 15 points in 3rd quarter

Darius Garland racked up 36 points for the Cavaliers, who struggled with a dismal 2-for-17 shooting in the third quarter, ending up with only 15 points in that period. Donovan Mitchell chipped in 22 points for Cleveland, which had previously clinched four consecutive wins on the road.

Cleveland hit its lowest scoring mark of the season.

“Certain plays swung the momentum their way,” commented Cavs coach J.B. Bickerstaff. “They energized the crowd, attacked us in the paint... We faced difficulties scoring in that area.”

Goga Bitadze scored 15 points for the Magic, who have won 11 out of their last 13 games, with one of their defeats occurring against Cleveland last Wednesday, where they shot a mere 2-for-23 from 3-point range. Despite shooting 7-for-26 on Monday night, the Cavs fared even worse (9 of 40 from 3 and 35.3% overall).

“We knew we didn't perform our best in Cleveland, and we wanted to prove ourselves, not just to them, but to everyone,” stated Jalen Suggs, who contributed 12 points and primarily defended against Garland and Mitchell throughout the game.

Banchero suffered a right ankle sprain late in the third quarter but returned after having the ankle re-taped with 6:39 left, aiding the Magic in maintaining their lead.

“At first, it shocked me and brought me down, but after testing it, I felt confident to come back,” said Banchero about the injury.

At halftime, Cleveland led 54-51, with Garland notching 19 points.

With Evan Mobley absent for a second game due to a sore left knee and Jarrett Allen drawing his fourth foul just 20 seconds into the second half, the Cavaliers found themselves short-handed in the front court.

Banchero, Wagner, and Bitadze capitalized fully, scoring all the points in a 12-0 run late in the period, granting the Magic a 76-65 lead. As Allen fouled out early in the fourth quarter, the Cavaliers trailed 89-71.

Garland and Mitchell attempted to rally the Cavs in the final quarter, but their efforts fell short, reaching their closest at 99-94 after Mitchell’s steal and layup with 1:36 remaining.

“At the end of the day, it came down to making shots,” remarked Bickerstaff. “It was a competitive game, but the scoreboard tells the story, and we didn't convert enough shots to secure the win.”

Joe Ingles, the Magic's leading scorer in the first half with 12 points, exited in the third quarter due to a sprained left ankle but returned to start the fourth.

UP NEXT

Cavaliers: Travel to Boston for a game on Tuesday night.

Magic: Head to Boston for a game on Friday night.