March 15 vs Magic

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On  whether it felt like LeBron James was setting guys up tonight:
“I thought LeBron (James) seemed to see everybody in the  gym tonight… really. And he threw it to them right in the shooting pocket and  it seems like they made every one. He shot a tremendous percentage from three,  but he was delivering the ball exactly on time and making great decisions. Like  I said, it seemed like he found guys in the eighth row that can make an open  shot tonight.”

On  pulling away with the second unit:
  “We started a little sluggish. They had 11 offensive  rebounds in the first eight or nine minutes, which is an incredible stat. And I  think they maybe had six the rest of the game. We talked about that in timeout  and we did make some normal rotations where the guys came in and took that to  heart. (They) played with a little more energy and came back with our first  wave at the end of our first quarter, and those guys were much more locked in  and we took control of the game.”

On  Kyrie Irving’s consistency:
  “I thought it was interesting, someone did ask me, ‘What  do you do for an encore for that (57 point performance)?’ I didn’t have a good  answer. But 12-for-15 from the field, 33 points in 34 minutes; that’s a pretty  good encore. And he played right, which is the most important thing. It’s not  the scoring as much as it is him just being engaged, locked in, and aggressive  offensively and not letting up on the defensive end. It was pretty admirable  what he did.”

On  Kyrie Irving’s efficiency:
  “When you’ve got a guy that can get to the rim almost  anytime he wants and he’s a shot maker at the same time, how do you guard that?  And what’s very unusual, is that he can make in between shots as well. That’s  kind of a lost art, a guy that can dribble once, twice inside the paint and  take and make a shot. He gives you all three of those elements. Plus he’s  playing with LeBron (James), so he gets a lot of good looks off the ball even  though he’s handling the ball a good bit.”

“You just try to stick to the game plan and not psyche  yourself up too much.  You don’t want to  put too much pressure on yourself.  It is  just the game of basketball.  I feel like  if you get there you should embrace it as well if you are playing well and guys  are setting great screens and just using my teammates tonight to not only get  myself open…and shots were falling and I had my feet under me and I am glad we  got the win.”

“I was just airing on the side of aggression that was my  mindset.  My teammates do a great job of  just feeding me confidence and instilling trust in me to go out there and be  myself.  The coaching staff as well and  our game plan is just to stay aggressive the whole entire game, get stops when  we need to and finish the game strong.”

“It is just a different feel going into the game.  We all have confidence as NBA players, but  when you have a certain feel…I feel like it is a body feel more than mental and  just going out there and playing.  I  think like for me it is just about   figuring the game out and learning where my spots are and how to be more  efficient.”

They had 11 offensive rebounds in the first eight and a  half minutes of the game.  We were  holding them down to the low 40’s but they kept getting second change points.  So we just had to clean that up and put a  body on somebody and contest and clean the glass.”

“Anytime your backcourt (Irving and Smith) go a combined  11 for 17 from the three-point line you are not going to lose too many of those  games.  They were very efficient with  their shots obviously.  They took a  couple of heat-check ones but that is okay when you are shooting at a clip like  that.  For us as the other guys on the floor,  when you guys shooting the ball like that you just try and give them the ball  in their sweet spot and all you have to do is catch and shoot.”

“I think our bench continues to do a great job.  Obviously one of our strongest bench players  had to be in a starting role tonight but I think J.J., and Shump, Perk, Delly  and everybody that came into the game tonight did a great job.”

(on  fan interference call) “We had a fast break.  I seen Shump streaking and I was about to  throw it all the way to him on the other side and the fan just hit the ball  down.  It was fan interference and our  ball.”

(on  his fall which appeared to hyperextend right knee) “A  scary moment for myself obviously.  I  couldn’t get my foot from underneath me and I was able to play through it  obviously and see how I feel tomorrow and go from there.  I haven’t had one of those falls if ever, but  in a pretty long time.  For me to be able  to finish the game the way I fell...the way I took that fall goes to my  training and the way I approach the game off the floor.  I was happy I was able to stay on the floor  with my teammates.”

(thoughts  about Chris Bosh as he returns to Miami tomorrow) “C.B.  is one of the best players on their team if not the biggest key.  He was always our biggest key when I was  there.  Myself and D-Wade we knew when  C.B. played great we were unbeatable.   But more than anything his health is more important than  basketball.  I am happy that he is doing  extremely well right now and just going through what he needs to go through  just to get healthy and not worry about basketball.  Their team has been up and down obviously  with the injuries, the trades and the things of that nature but they have a lot  of guys over there with Championship DNA and that is all that matters.”

On  LeBron James:
“Yeah, he’s a spectacular player. He has tremendous  talent. He’s a tremendous basketball player and he’s got weapons around him and  when that combination is playing well and they are shooting the ball so well,  they’re a very dangerous team and we saw that tonight. Give them credit. They  were fantastic, they shot very well, they found the open man; we tried multiple  coverages, multiple bodies. Give Cleveland credit, they played very well.”

On  the defense:
  “I think at times we executed what we were trying to do.  I wouldn’t say we were 100 percent executing our defensive scheme but even when  you execute it well you’re in perfect position, you’re rotating, you’re  scrabbling, you’re bigs are up, they are taking the ball out of LeBron’s hands,  they’re still so dangerous and they make you pay for that. A few times we  brought our bigs back, he gets downhill, he gets into the paint, he gets to the  rim, and he scores. You really have to mix it up on him and we tried to mix it  up. It’s a very difficult challenge but I thought our group fought and we’ll  watch the film and learn from it but give Cleveland a lot of credit. That is a  very good basketball team.”

Building  on an identity. Have you found it yet?
  “Defense is our identity. Tonight was not a great  defensive effort; that was partly due to Cleveland and partly our effort, our  execution defensively. This is one of those teams that if you are not perfect,  if they are not having an off night, then it’s going to be a very difficult  game, but we are a defensive team. I will continue to say that and our identity  is on the defensive end; number one priority every single night. We will learn  from this game, we must learn from this game and this is not acceptable for us  defensively but that is who we are. We will continue to strive to be the best  defensive team we can be every single night.”

On  Elfrid Payton:
  “I thought he was very aggressive tonight. I thought he  pushed the pace; he was active on both ends of the floor. It was good to see  him bounce back. That’s a very difficult challenge guarding Kyrie Irving and  trying to get us into our sets, trying to put pressure on the defense every  single night. I thought he responded tonight.” 

On  the offense:
  “I thought we had some pretty good flow out there. I  thought the ball was moving. We got the ball downhill into their defense, made  the extra pass; I thought we shot it really well tonight. I think we will take  47.7 (FG%) every single night. Those were a lot of good shots. We had 24  assists so the ball was moving. I think we are in a pretty decent rhythm  offensively and I like what we saw from our group offensively.”

On  Luke Ridnour:
  “He just looked more confident shooting the ball. Luke  does a good job for us offensively getting us into our shot. He has a nice  rhythm and a nice flow with that second unit so we need him there. When his  shot is going down it is even another level for us in our second unit. So, I  thought he was very good tonight, he helped us, and we will continue to go to  him.”

On  the team’s defensive identity:
“Well, it depends where you look at it. If you look at it  in a whole, we’re pretty close to doing that. Coach Borrego has given us some  great principles to live by. If you look at a game like tonight and the way  they shot the ball, you would say that we just started. But I think overall as  a whole, we have to stay encouraged. It’s a tough team. You have to give them  credit. They have a lot of options out there, a lot of scorers and guys that  can make tough shots. It’s just overall tough for us.”

On  the difficulty of defending LeBron James:
“Well, he’s a 6’9” point guard. He’s strong, athletic,  sees the floor well, and he makes you play on defensive rotation. He’s been  playing the game for so long that he sees when you have a breakdown and he  exploits it.”

On  surrounding LeBron James with three-point shooters and the difficulty defending  them:
  “Yeah, he just draws you in and kicks it out. Kyrie  (Irving) had one in front of our bench and it looked like he was practicing. It  was a H-O-R-S-E shot. He got to get his fingers right, his feet down, just shot  it, lined it up, and it went in.”

On  the team’s defensive identity:
  “We’re improving. I think we’re improving every day.  Tonight we had a rough night. Personally, I think I need to come out with more  energy than I did. I don’t know what it was, but I’m not going to let that  happen again. But as a team, we just need to mature and grow with each other.”

On  defending LeBron James:
“It’s tough… Credit them, they’re playing well and  they’re shooting the ball well. That’s why they put up all shooters around  him.”

On  LeBron’s comparisons Magic Johnson and his vision:
  “He’s special in that area. I don’t compare him to  anybody. He’s just LeBron James. At the end of the day, he does things that Magic  (Johnson) couldn’t do and Magic did things that he couldn’t do. He did a great  job today. He got everybody involved and he still stayed aggressive too.”

On  the team’s defensive identity:
  “It’s tough. The past couple of games guys have gotten  hot and in this game guys are hot. It’s tough when you want to protect your  paint and people are hitting shots from the outside. It’s tough. But at the end  of the day, we’ve just got to buy in to protecting the paint, because on most  nights in the NBA it’s going to be good for us.”

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Game Quotes: Cavaliers at Orlando Magic - Mar. 15

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Wrap-Up – The Cavaliers didn’t need a dramatic rally or an overtime session or 57 points from Kyrie Irving on Sunday evening. They simply went to work against an Orlando team they’ve owned over the past few years – jumped ahead in the second quarter and pulled away for the 123-108 win on Sunday night at the Amway Center.

Kyrie didn’t go off for 50-plus, but he was still sizzling – going 12-for-15 from the floor, including 5-of-6 from long-distance, to lead everyone with 33 points. Over the last two games, the three-time All-Star has netted 90 points and is 12-for-13 on three-point attempts. He added four boards, four assists and a steal on Sunday.

Kyrie, LeBron &amp; J.R. combine for 79 points .

LeBron James drives the lane, and thumps home a dunk.

Watch final game highlights from Sunday's win.

J.R. Smith did some damage from beyond the arc as well, following up with 25 points on 7-for-14 shooting, six of those field goals from three-point range. LeBron James barely missed a triple-double, finishing with 21 points, eight boards and a game-high 13 assists – adding three steals and a block.

James Jones once again came off the bench ready to roll – going 4-of-8 from long-distance to lead Cleveland’s reserves with 12 points.

Offensively, the Cavs continued to hit on all cylinders, topping the 120-point mark for the third straight game and averaging 126 points per contest through the first three games of a four-game trip. As a team, they shot 59 percent on Sunday night – including 51 percent from long-range. When the Cavs weren’t shooting over the Magic, they were running past them – outscoring Orlando on the break, 22-10.

Turning Point – After a sluggish first quarter that saw them trail by two while getting outrebounded, 22-9, the Cavaliers caught fire to start the second period. James Jones drilled a trey to start the scoring and LeBron’s layup capped a 11-0 run.

The Magic hung with Cleveland through the quarter by virtue of 58 percent shooting. The problem for Orlando was that Cleveland shot an eye-popping 80 percent in the period and went into intermission up double-figures. The Magic would get no closer than nine the rest of the way.

By the Numbers – 10 … straight wins by the Cavaliers over the Magic, dating back to January 1, 2013. During that stretch, the Cavs have outscored Orlando by almost 14 points per while dominating them in almost every offensive category. It’s Cleveland’s longest active win streak against any team.

Quotable – Kyrie Irving, on his stellar recent play …

”It’s just a different feel going into the game. We all have confidence as NBA players, but when you have a certain feel…I feel like it’s a body feel more than mental and just going out there and playing. I think like for me it is just about figuring the game out and learning where my spots are and how to be more efficient.”

Up Next – After rolling the Magic on Sunday, the Cavaliers wrap up their four-game roadie on Monday night in Miami – trying to go undefeated on the trip and avenge a Christmas Day loss to the Heat. The Cavs return to The Q on Wednesday night, where they’ll play Brooklyn in the first of two straight home games – the first time they’ll do so since before the All-Star Break. On Friday night, they face the Pacers in Cleveland before getting back on the road for a Sunday afternoon affair in Milwaukee. The Wine and Gold will play every Sunday for the remainder of the regular season.

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Road Warriors Rumble Through Magic Kingdom

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Cavs vs. Orlando Magic - March 15, 2015

Listen to Radio Play-by-Play announcer John Michael's Call of the Game during the Cavaliers at Orlando Magic game on March 15, 2015. LeBron James drives the lane, and thumps home a dunk.

Escucha a la voz en español de los Cavaliers Rafa "El Alcalde" con la narración de la jugada del partido entre Los Cavaliers de Cleveland y El Magic de Orlando en el Amway Center de Orlando, FL el 15 de Marzo del 2015. Los Cavs derrotaron al Magic para conseguir su tercera victoria consecutiva en esta gira de cuatro partidos con una gran actuación en equipo que incluyó al Rey LeBron James terminando 2 rebotes corto de su primer triple doble de la temporada con 8 rebotes, 13 asistencias y anotando 21 puntos. Dos de ellos llegaron en esta clavada después después de una gran asistencia de JR Smith

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Call of the Game: Cavs at Orlando Magic - Mar. 15

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After a pair of road wins against two tough Texas teams, the Cavaliers continue their four-game road trip when they visit the Sunshine State to square off with the Orlando Magic for the third and final time this season. Tipoff is at 6:00 p.m. ET.

Cleveland (42-25) holds a 42-25 (.627) record in 2014-15, which is tops in the Central Division and the 2nd-best record in the Eastern Conference.

The Cavaliers improved to an NBA-best 23-5 (.821) since Jan. 15 after their 128-125 OT win in San Antonio on Thursday.

During their 23-5 stretch since Jan. 15, the Cavs rank 1st in the NBA in points per game differential (+11.1), 1st in three-pointers made (320), 2nd in field goal percentage (.468), 2nd in points per game (108.1) and 5th in three-point percentage (.375). Defensively since that time, the Cavs are 7th in opp. field goal percentage (.428), 3rd in opp. three-point percentage (.324) and 10th in opp. points per game (97.0).

Orlando (21-46) is coming off a winless three-game road trip in which they averaged 88.3 points on 39.7 percent shooting.

The Magic's rookie point guard, Elfrid Payton, is averaging 16.8 points and 6.8 assists over the last four games. Payton tallied 20 points to go along with nine assists in Friday's 95-88 loss at Boston.

WTAM 1100, 100.7 WMMS, 87.7 FM La Mega, AM 1590 WAKR (Akron)

Get into the conversation with other die-hards.

Current Starters/Status Update*presented by Cleveland Clinic

Status Update: Anderson Varejao, (Left Achilles Tendon Rupture, Out), Shawn Marion, (Left Hip Strain, Questionable)

Magic: PG - Elfrid Payton, SG - Victor Oladipo, SF - Tobias Harris PF - Dewayne Dedmon, C - Nikola Vucevic

Status Update: (Magic) - Evan Fournier, (Sore Right Hip, Out), Willie Green, (Lower Back Spasms, Questionable), Devyn Marble, (Detached Retina, Left Eye, Out)

The Wine and Gold have won nine straight games over the Magic, their longest current winning streak over an opponent. Cleveland has also won the last four contests at the Amway Center, which includes a 98-89 win on Dec. 26. In that victory, the Cavs outscored the Magic 27-14 in the fourth quarter and allowed just 57 points on 23-55 (.412) over the final three periods. LeBron James scored 15 points in the fourth quarter and finished with a game-high 29 points on 10-20 (.500) shooting, 9-11 (.818) from the foul line, five rebounds, a team-high eight assists, two steals and two blocks in 37 minutes. It was his 600th straight game scoring in double figures (currently at 628) as he also recorded his 6,000th-career assist that night. Kevin Love added 22 points (13 in the first quarter), seven rebounds and two assists in 33 minutes.

In their nine straight wins over Orlando, the Cavs have outscored the Magic by an average of 14.0 points (105.3 to 91.3). Cleveland has also dished out 23.8 assists to only 11.0 turnovers during that stretch. In the two games against the Magic in 2014-15, the Cavs have won by an average of 20.5 points (102.0-81.5), while dishing out 24.5 assists (11.0 turnovers) and holding Orlando to just .425 shooting from the field.

The Cavaliers trail the all-time series against the Magic 46-48 (28-18 Home, 18-30 Road).

TV: FOX Sports Ohio, NBATV, Radio: WTAM 1100, 100.7 WMMS, 87.7 FM La Mega, AM 1590 WAKR (Akron)

Tune into #CavsLive on FOX Sports Ohio starting at 5:30 p.m.

For live in-game updates, follow @cavs, @CavsJoeG, @CavsFredMcLeod, @MrCavalier34, @CavsJMike, @chones22, @FSOAllieOop and @ElalcaldeRafa on Twitter.

Programming Note: Tonight, FOX Sports Ohio is airing both the Blue Jackets-Hurricanes game (5:00 p.m.) and the Cavs-Magic game (6:00 p.m.). More Info | View Conflict Schedule

After tonight's game, the Wine and Gold conclude their road trip as they travel to Miami to take on the Miami Heat on Monday at 8:00 p.m. ET.

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GameDay Preview: Cavaliers at Orlando Magic

On Sunday, March 15, 2015, FOX Sports Ohio is airing both the Blue Jackets-Hurricanes game (5:00 p.m.) and the Cavs-Magic game (6:00 p.m.). This information is also available online HERE.

Cavaliers Live Pregame Show begins at 5:30 p.m. | Tipoff at 6:00 p.m.

Cleveland, Toledo, Youngstown/Erie, Bowling Green, KY and Wheeling/Steubenville areas:

Columbus, Lima, Cincinnati, Dayton, Louisville/Lexington and Charleston/Huntington areas:

The game will also replay on all FOX Sports Ohio in all Cavs viewing areas at 12 midnight.

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Programming Note: Cavs at Orlando Magic - March 15

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