The Lead
Wendell Carter Jr., back following a two-game absence, filled up the stat sheet with 15 points, 12 rebounds and six assists and Ignas Brazdeikis, getting big minutes, matched a season high with 13 points in the Orlando Magic’s 107-101 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse on Monday night.
Clutch Moments
With the Magic playing all their reserves down the stretch, the Cavs went from down two midway through the fourth to up 10 with a minute and change left. Lauri Markkanen buried a 3-pointer to start the run and Darius Garland, who finished with 25 points and 12 assists, connected on back-to-back shots, including a step-back 28-footer with 2:25 remaining.
Key Stats
The Magic scored 62 points in the paint, 17 more than their season average, and dished out 31 assists, tied for their fourth most this season. They held the Cavs to just 31.7 percent 3-point shooting. Turnovers were a problem, however, as the 17 they had led to 27 Cleveland points. Also, the Cavs took 10 more free throws than the Magic.
Injury Report
Jalen Suggs (right ankle), Jonathan Isaac (left knee) and Bol Bol (foot) were out for Orlando. Jarrett Allen (finger), Dean Wade (knee), Collin Sexton (knee) and Rajon Rondo (ankle) were unavailable for Cleveland. Evan Mobley left the game early with a sprained left ankle.
This Day in History
Late in the 1999-00 season, the Magic made a strong playoff push with a seven-game winning streak. In the middle of that torrid stretch was a blowout victory over the Boston Celtics on March 28, 2000. Ron Mercer scored 23 points, Chucky Atkins had 21 and Bo Outlaw recorded one of his two career triple-doubles with 10 points, 14 rebounds and 10 assists. Dana Barros led the Celtics with 19 points.
Rivals Report
Are the Cavs just a nice story, or are they a legitimate threat to any of the teams sitting near the top in the Eastern Conference standings? They really miss Allen, as they are just 5-6 since he fractured a finger on March 6. If Cleveland does make the playoffs – which is still iffy – and the 6-foot-11, 243-pound center is back, could they shock some people in the opening round? Believers in Cleveland will point to their defense. Before Allen’s injury, they had the league’s fourth-best defensive rating.
Quote of the Night
“It’s super exciting. It’s their first time meeting in the March Madness tournament...It’s always a lot of fun just knowing the school you went to is doing a really good job right now. It’s always fun to see that kind of stuff.” – Carter Jr. on his alma mater, Duke, playing rival UNC in the Final Four
Up Next
The Magic will square off against the Wizards in the nation’s capital on Wednesday at 7 p.m. This will be the first time Orlando will play against Washington since they acquired Kristaps Porzingis at the trade deadline. The 7-foot-3 Latvian, an All-Star earlier in his career with New York, is averaging 21.4 points and 8.2 rebounds since coming over from Dallas.