Cavaliers 106, Magic 74: LeBron James recorded 29 points and matched his season high with 11 assists as Cleveland rolled over visiting Orlando to snap a four-game losing streak.
Anderson Varejao contributed 14 points – 10 in the third quarter – as the Cavaliers defeated the Magic for the eighth straight time. Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving each added 12 points while Tristan Thompson collected nine points and 11 rebounds off the bench for Cleveland, which held Orlando to 36.3 percent from the field.
Victor Oladipo poured in a season-high 22 points to go along with nine rebounds for the Magic, who have lost three of their last four and were held to a season low in scoring. Nikola Vucevic registered 16 of his 18 points in the first half and grabbed 13 rebounds for Orlando, which finished with 18 turnovers.
James accounted for all but two of the Cavaliers’ points in the first quarter while scoring 16 and dishing out four assists to help build a 26-16 lead. Irving scored the first five points of the second quarter and Cleveland pushed its advantage as high as 21 on Thompson’s dunk before settling for a 56-38 halftime edge.
The Magic pulled within 12 early in the second half before the Cavaliers ran off 12 straight points – six by Varejao – and took an 81-58 lead into the final quarter. Irving scored five as Cleveland started the fourth on a 7-0 run for a 30-point lead and it coasted the rest of the way to improve to 3-4 at home.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Varejao was 7-of-9 from the field and is shooting 61.4 percent over the last four contests. … Thompson’s 11 rebounds gave him 2,001 in his career. … Orlando was without second-leading scorer F Tobias Harris for the second straight contest due to a right calf strain.
Orlando | Cleveland | |
Victor Oladipo 22 | Scoring | LeBron James 29 |
Maurice Harkless 4 | Assists | LeBron James 11 |
Nikola Vucevic 13 | Rebounds | Tristan Thompson 11 |
Victor Oladipo 5 | Free Throws Made | LeBron James 9 |
Victor Oladipo 2 | Steals | Kyrie Irving 4 |
Evan Fournier 1 | Blocks | Brendan Haywood 3 |
Team | Points | FG% | 3PM-3PA | FTM-FTA | Assists | Rebounds | Blocks | Steals | Turnovers |
Orlando | 74 | 36.2 | 5-17 | 11-15 | 14 | 40 | 3 | 5 | 18 |
Cleveland | 106 | 51.9 | 6-16 | 16-22 | 30 | 44 | 9 | 14 | 13 |