Two Eastern Conference contenders clash as the Orlando Magic (14-6, 15-5 ATS, 2nd in the East) hit the road to face the Cleveland Cavaliers.
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Two Eastern Conference contenders clash as the Orlando Magic (14-6, 15-5 ATS, 2nd in the East) hit the road to face the Cleveland Cavaliers (11-9, 7-11-2 ATS, 8th in the East) this Wednesday night. Orlando is looking to bounce back after a tough road loss in Brooklyn, where they fell 129-101 despite entering the game as only 2.5-point underdogs.
Fresh from a victorious road outing against the Pistons with a 110-101 score, Cleveland narrowly missed covering as 9.5-point favorites. This encounter marks the initial clash in a four-game series between these teams this season. Presently, the Cavaliers are favored by 4.5 points, with the game set to tip off at 7:00 PM EST at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse in Cleveland.
For the Cavaliers, Jerome, LaVert, Rubio, and Wade will not be available to play the game due to injuries. As for the Magic, Carter and Fultz will be sitting this one out due to finger and knee injury. Besides, Isaac is also questionable to play the game due to an ankle injury.
The Orlando Magic matched their franchise best with a nine-game winning streak, a feat previously achieved only three times in team history. Notably, those earlier instances of nine consecutive victories were anchored by the formidable presence of either Shaquille O’Neal or Dwight Howard in the lineup.
The opportunity to surpass the record slipped away for the Magic as they faced a formidable challenge from Mikal Bridges and the Nets. Bridges, with an impressive 42-point performance, set the game’s tone with a remarkable 26-point contribution in the first quarter alone. In the face of the defeat, Orlando was guided by Franz Wagner, who concluded the game with a commendable 20 points.
At the forefront of the Magic’s scoring efforts is Wagner, boasting an average of 20.7 points per game, along with notable contributions of 5.8 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game. Impressively, Wagner has maintained a scoring streak, achieving 20 or more points in his last four games, which includes two standout performances where he tallied 31 points in each.
Securing a comfortable nine-point victory over the struggling Pistons, the Cavaliers didn’t rely on a standout individual performance. Detroit, with only two wins this season, couldn’t pose a significant challenge, allowing Cleveland to cruise to success. The victory was a result of a well-distributed effort, with Darius Garland, Max Strus, Donovan Mitchell, and Jarrett Allen contributing between 19 and 22 points each in a balanced display.
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