Magic Hold Off Wine and Gold’s Final Flurry, 128-122

*** In a battle between two teams as evenly-matched as the Cavaliers and Magic – one that featured 10 ties and 12 lead-changes – sometimes a quick burst is all it takes. 

Both squads traded blows for three quarters, but a 15-5 Magic run late in the third gave Orlando just enough space to keep Cleveland at arm’s length the rest of the way – holding off the Wine and Gold’s final flurry in the closing moments to escape with the 128-122 victory on Wednesday night at the Kia Center. 

Wednesday’s matchup featured two of the hottest teams in the East – currently the 4^th and 5^th-seed in the Conference with the postseason just over a month away – and it felt like a playoff game for most of the night. 

The Magic looked to be pulling away, leading by double-digits through most of the fourth quarter, and by 10 with just over two minutes to play. But behind timely bombs by Keon Ellis, James Harden and Donovan Mitchell, the Cavs cut the lead to just two with 38.5 seconds remaining. 

That’s as close as they’d get, however, with Desmond Bane answering with a triple of his own to give the Magic the breathing room they’d need to seal their fifth straight win. 

James Harden had his best offensive output since being dealt to Cleveland at the Deadline – leading the Cavs with 30 points, going 11-for-16 from the floor, including 5-of-9 from long-range, pacing the squad once again with eight assists to go with five rebounds. 

“We’ve got to be better defensively, it’s just that simple,” said Harden. “(Orlando) did a really good job – and they’ve been doing it every game – of forcing the ball into the paint. And we didn’t have any resistance. They shot an unbelievable percentage by the basket, and they got to the line too many times. It’s something that we can fix, something we can control.”

Donovan Mitchell followed up with 25 points of his own on 9-of-24 shooting, adding five boards, five assists and a steal. 

Evan Mobley registered his 20^th double-double of the season – finishing with 18 points and a game-high 13 rebounds, adding four assists and a pair of blocks. Sam Merrill rounded out the Cavaliers in double-figures with 13 points on 5-of-8 shooting. 

Harden was the only recently-acquired Cavalier with a big offensive night – following up his 19-point effort in Monday’s win over Philly with a 20-point game in Orlando, going 6-of-9 from the floor, including 5-of-8 from beyond the arc in 31 minutes of work off the bench. Over his last two games, the 4^th-year defensive standout is 9-of-15 from long-distance. 

“I think early on, we let them get to the rim too easily,” said Ellis. “That’s what had them rolling at first, but we fought our way back late to make it a game.”

Thomas Bryant was also very good in a reserve role – finishing with 12 points and five boards in 18 minutes of action. 

The Cavaliers shot 49 percent from the floor and canned 17 three-pointers on Wednesday, committing just 10 miscues on the night. But they also missed nine free throws against a Magic team that shot 51 percent from the field and committed only six turnovers of their own. 

Desmond Bane led all scorers with 35 points, going 12-of-19 from the floor, 2-of-3 from deep and 9-of-10 from the stripe. Wendell Carter Jr. doubled-up with 11 points and 11 boards and both Paolo Banchero (25) and Tristan da Silva (23) topped the 20-point plateau. 

*** After falling in Central Florida on Wednesday night, the Cavaliers travel for the first of two straight against the Mavericks – taking on Cooper Flagg and Co. on Friday night in Dallas before returning for a home showdown on Sunday afternoon. From there, it’s right back on the road for three straight beginning with a Tuesday night battle with the Bucks in Milwaukee followed by Thursday night stop in the Windy City before wrapping up the roadie on Saturday, taking on the Pelicans in the Big Easy.