Cavaliers Lose to the Magic 104-94: Game Recap 12/11/23

Post-Game Recap

3 Key Factors Around the Loss

1 – Missed shots late

Cleveland was down six with 1:19 and had multiple opportunities to cut the lead, but the Cavs were unable to do so, missing four shots and never scoring again on the night.  Two misses, in particular by Donovan Mitchell, ended a frustrating night for him, going 6 for 18 and scoring 22.  Mitchell missed a dunk late in the 4th that appeared to be a foul on the Magic, but the foul was not called.

2 – Garland and Thompson 

Darius Garland had a big night with 36 points and only three turnovers.  Garland had his best game so far in 2023.  

Tristin Thompson also had a good night with a double-double, scoring 10 points with 13 rebounds. 

3 – Allen struggles 

On the other hand, Jarrett Allen did not play well, getting into foul trouble, only scoring four points, and fouling out early in the 4th quarter. 

Game Summary

Paolo Banchero of the Orlando Magic scored 20 points, while Franz Wagner added 19, contributing to the Cleveland Cavaliers’ struggle to recover from a challenging third quarter on Monday night, resulting in a 104-94 loss to the Magic.

Darius Garland led the Cavaliers with 36 points, but their poor performance in the third quarter, where they made only two of 17 shots and scored 15 points, proved costly. Donovan Mitchell chipped in with 22 points for the Cavaliers, who had previously won four consecutive road games.

Goga Bitadze contributed 15 points for the Magic, who have won 11 of their last 13 games, with one of the recent losses occurring against Cleveland. In that game, the Magic shot 2-for-23 from 3-point range, and on Monday night, they improved slightly to 7-for-26.

Despite Garland’s 19 points in the first half, Cleveland led 54-51. However, the absence of Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen’s early foul trouble in the second half left the Cavaliers shorthanded in the frontcourt.

Taking advantage of the situation, Banchero, Wagner, and Bitadze orchestrated a 12-0 run late in the third quarter, giving the Magic a 76-65 lead. As Allen fouled out early in the fourth quarter, the Cavaliers found themselves trailing 89-71.

Although Garland and Mitchell attempted to stage a comeback in the fourth quarter, the closest they came was 99-94 after a steal and layup by Mitchell with 1:36 left in the game.

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

Up Next

At Boston Celtics on Tuesday Night