NBA

Cleveland Cavaliers at Orlando Magic

· National Basketball Association
13-10, 7-4 Away
Final
94 - 104

16-7, 11-2 Home

Paolo Banchero, Magic hold Cavaliers to 15 points in 3rd quarter, win 104-94

A classic Joe Ingles performance in Magic win vs. Cavs

Darius Garland scored 36 points for the Cavaliers, who made only two of 17 shots in the third and finished with 15 points in the period. Donovan Mitchell added 22 points for the Cavaliers, who had won four straight on the road.

Cleveland's scoring total was a season low.

“They had some momentum plays that shifted in their favor,” Cavs coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. “They got the crowd involved. They attacked us in the paint. ... We struggled to score there.”

Goga Bitadze had 15 points for the Magic, who have won 11 of 13 with one of the losses coming at Cleveland last Wednesday, when they shot 2-for-23 from 3-point range. They shot 7-for-26 Monday night, but the Cavs were even worse (9 of 40 from 3 and 35.3% overall).

“We knew we didn't have our best game in Cleveland, and we wanted to show them, and show everybody, that we don't want to be the doormat anymore,” said Jalen Suggs, who had 12 points and spent much of the game trying to slow down Garland and Mitchell.

Banchero sprained his right ankle late in the third quarter. He returned with the ankle re-taped with 6:39 remaining and helped the Magic hold onto the lead.

“It just shocked me at first, put me on the ground,” Banchero said, “but I put some weight on it and felt like I could come back.”

Cleveland led 54-51 after a first half in which Garland scored 19 points.

With 7-footer Evan Mobley missing a second straight game due to a sore left knee, Jarrett Allen was called for his fourth foul just 20 seconds into the second half, leaving the Cavaliers outmanned in the front court.

Banchero, Wagner and Bitadze took full advantage, scoring all the points during a 12-0 run late in the period that left the Magic with a 76-65 lead. By the time Allen fouled out early in the fourth quarter, the Cavaliers were down 89-71.

Garland and Mitchell got the Cavs back into the game in the fourth, but the closest they could get was 99-94 on steal and a layup by Mitchell with 1:36 left.

“It came down to shot-making at the end of it,” Bickerstaff said. “It was a good, competitive game, but at the end of the day the scoreboard ticks for a reason, and we just didn't make enough shots to win it.”

Joe Ingles, who led the Magic's first-half scoring with 12 points, left in the third quarter with a sprained left ankle but returned to start the fourth.

UP NEXT

Cavaliers: Visit Boston on Tuesday night.

Magic: Visit Boston on Friday night.

Regular Season Series

Series tied 1-1

Recent Plays

4th 0.0 End of Game 94 - 104
4th 0.0 End of the 4th Quarter 94 - 104
4th 5.1 Paolo Banchero defensive rebound 94 - 104
4th 8.2 Donovan Mitchell misses 28-foot three point jumper 94 - 104
4th 15.2 Franz Wagner makes 4-foot dunk (Jalen Suggs assists) 94 - 104

Statistics

https://a.espncdn.com/combiner/i?img=/i/teamlogos/nba/500/cle.png&h=100&scale=crop&w=100&location=originCLE https://a.espncdn.com/combiner/i?img=/i/teamlogos/nba/500/orl.png&h=100&scale=crop&w=100&location=originORL
30-85 FG 39-84
35 Field Goal % 46
9-40 3PT 7-26
22 Three Point % 27
25-33 FT 19-25
76 Free Throw % 76
48 Rebounds 43
18 Offensive Rebounds 12
30 Defensive Rebounds 31
15 Assists 22
10 Steals 7
3 Blocks 8
14 Turnovers 12
0 Team Turnovers 2
14 Total Turnovers 14
2 Technical Fouls 2
2 Total Technical Fouls 2
0 Flagrant Fouls 0
26 Points Conceded Off Turnovers 11
9 Fast Break Points 8
36 Points in Paint 56
23 Fouls 22
7 Largest Lead 18
Orlando Magic Orlando Magic Injuries
NAME, POS STATUS DATE
Goga Bitadze, C Day-To-Day Dec 25
Tristan da Silva, F Out Dec 25
Moritz Wagner, F Out Dec 25
Franz Wagner, F Out Dec 25
Jalen Suggs, G Out Dec 25
Cleveland Cavaliers Cleveland Cavaliers Injuries
NAME, POS STATUS DATE
Larry Nance Jr., F Out Dec 21
Max Strus, G Out Dec 21

Game Information

Kia Center

Location: Orlando, FL
Attendance: 19,032 · Capacity:

2025-26 Central Standings

TEAM W L PCT GB STRK
Detroit 24 6 .800 - W3
Cleveland 17 15 .531 8 L1
Chicago 14 15 .483 9.5 W4
Milwaukee 12 18 .400 12 W1
Indiana 6 24 .200 18 L6

2025-26 Southeast Standings

TEAM W L PCT GB STRK
Orlando 17 13 .567 - W1
Miami 15 15 .500 2 L3
Atlanta 15 16 .484 2.5 L4
Charlotte 10 20 .333 7 W1
Washington 5 23 .179 11 L2
Full Standings

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