ORLANDO, Fla. — Behind Paolo Banchero’s 24 points and Franz Wagner’s 22, the Orlando Magic (32-27) defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers 108-103 on Sunday to end the Cavs winning streak at 16 games.
This is the first loss for Cleveland since Feb. 4, as the NBA’s best team was looking to pull away from the rest of the league.
“The toughness that they have, the resiliency that they have to not let the last game spill over into this game,” Magic head coach Jamahl Mosley said of what this win said about his group. “We took the good things from last game and learned from them and we were able to apply it tonight, understanding what we are capable of doing on any given night. And that’s what I think you saw with this group.”
The Magic, who trailed by as much as 13 in the first half, outscored the Cavs 61-43 after intermission.
With just under a minute to go and the Magic down 103-102, Banchero hit a clutch jumper to give the Magic a 104-103 lead.
Banchero struggled from the field, shooting 6/22 for the game, but no basket was more important than the one he hit to give the Magic the lead.
Next for the Magic is a return home after their road trip with a matchup against the Houston Rockets Wednesday night at 7:00 p.m.
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