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Wrap-Up -- This one hurt.
The Wine & Gold have had a difficult season through the first nine games, but Monday night’s heartbreaker at the Amway Center spoiled perhaps the best total team effort of the young season – dropping the 102-100 decision on Evan Fournier’s buzzer-beater to cap a late Magic rally.
The Cavaliers clawed back into contention after trailing by double-figures early in the third quarter – converting an 11-point deficit into a nine-point lead heading into the final period.
But the Magic chipped away at Cleveland’s lead and by the four-minute mark had tied the affair at 88-apiece.
The Cavaliers went back ahead as George Hill scored seven straight points to give his squad a three-point edge, 95-92, with just over two minutes to play.
Tristan Thompson’s bucket put the Cavs up five, but Aaron Gordon canned at triple on the other end to get Orlando back to within two. JR Smith would answer, however, drilling a bomb of his own to make the score 100-95 with just 42 seconds to play.
But the Cavaliers’ inexperience – matched with some questionable officiating – would bite them in the final minute.
Gordon’s turnaround got the Magic back to within three with 23.8 to play and Orlando had to foul. But Cedi Osman threw an errant (and unnecessary) pass to Jordan Clarkson that was picked by D.J. Augustin, who converted a pair of free throws to get the Magic to within one.
On Cleveland’s next possession, Kyle Korver was picked on the in-bounds pass by Fournier, who was fouled and split the free throws to tie the game at 100 with 13 seconds to play.
On what would be the Cavaliers final possession, George Hill’s shot attempt was rejected by Nikola Vucevic with under two seconds to play and, after a review, it was determined that Hill was the last player to touch the ball – giving Orlando the final shot.
With 1.8 remaining, Fournier took the in-bounds pass, weaved around the top of the key and nailed a long pull-up jumper as the buzzer sounded – giving the Magic their second straight win and sending the Wine & Gold to a 1-9 mark, having now dropped three straight after earning their first victory of the season six days earlier.
Balanced scoring attack not enough in Orlando.
The loss spoiled a solid team effort and some outstanding individual performances by the Cavaliers.
George Hill notched 11 of his team-high 22 points in the final quarter – going 10-of-12 from the floor, including 2-of-2 from long-range, adding a game-high six assists, four boards and game-high four steals.
Tristan Thompson was just as good – doubling-up with 19 points on 9-for-12 shooting and a game-best 16 boards, grabbing six of those off the offensive glass to go with four helpers and a blocked shot.
J.R. Smith turned in another rock-solid floor game – coming off the bench to tally 14 points on 5-of-9 shooting, canning a pair of triples – including the trifecta that nearly sealed the win in the final minute. In 25 minutes of work, Smith added four rebounds, three assists, two steals and a block.
Jordan Clarkson simply did what he’s been doing all season, posting another strong offensive performance off the bench – netting 14 points on 5-of-10 shooting, including 3-of-6 from three-point range.
Cedi Osman, who took the loss hard, had a strong game despite his last-minute miscue – doubling-up for the second time this season with 11 points and 10 boards. Rodney Hood, who chipped in with 11 points of his own, was the final Cavalier in double-figures.
The only Cavalier starter who didn’t register double-figures was Sam Dekker, who turned his ankle after landing on Aaron Gordon’s foot early in the third quarter. Dekker was unable to put any weight on the ankle leaving the court, didn’t return to action and was on crutches and a walking boot as the squad left the arena.
The Magic, who had been dominated by Cleveland over the past few years, were led by Aaron Gordon’s 23-point effort, going 9-for-15 from the floor, 3-of-4 from long-distance. Nikola Vucevic doubled-up in the win – notching 14 points and 10 boards in the win.
Turning Point -- So far this season, the Cavaliers have often been dealt a knockout blow before the fourth quarter even began. But instead of letting the third quarter slip away from them on Monday, the Wine & Gold flipped the script.
Aaron Gordon’s dunk less than a minute into the second stanza put Orlando up 11 and it looked like things might start slipping away. But Rodney Hood answered with a pull-up jumper on Cleveland’s next possession – keying an 11-0 run that locked the game up at 60-apiece.
Both squads went back and forth, and the game was knotted once again at 68-68. But the Cavs would close the quarter on an 11-2 run to give themselves the lead heading into the final period for just the second time this season.
But the Magic turned the tide in the fourth – outscoring Cleveland, 32-21, and forcing the Cavs into several costly mistakes down the stretch.
By the Numbers – 138 … career double-doubles that Tristan Thompson has posted over the course of his career – including three so far this season. Over his last four games, the longest-tenured Cavalier is averaging 12.0 points and 11.0 boards per.
Quotable – JR Smith, on the Wine & Gold’s effort on Monday night …
”The way we executed on the offensive end and the way we fought on defense is definitely something to build on. Nobody should hang their heads on this one game.”
Up Next -- After wrapping up their two-game roadie with Monday night’s heartbreaker in Orlando, the Wine & Gold return home for a tough matchup against Russell Westbrook and the Thunder on Wednesday night at The Q. From there, it’s right back on the road – traveling to the Windy City for a Saturday night showdown with the Bulls. Cleveland returns home for a home rematch with the Hornets next Tuesday at The Q before getting back on the open road, taking on the Wizards the following night in Washington. Following that contest, the Cavaliers get a rare four-day break before traveling to Detroit to begin the following week.