Losing skids to Cavs torment Magic

As far as is concerned, the reports about the Cleveland Cavaliers’ demise are greatly exaggerated even though the Cavaliers have lost five of their last nine games.

“I think the Cavs are going to be just fine,” Vogel said Monday.

Then again, Vogel would be happy if the Magic make life miserable for the Cavs when the teams face each other tonight at Quicken Loans Arena.

The matchup will be a big game for Cleveland. The Cavs trail the firstplace Boston Celtics by half a game in the Eastern Conference standings.

With the regular season scheduled to end on April 12, a Magic victory over the Cavs would severely hamper the Cavs’ hopes of securing homecourt advantage throughout the Eastern Conference playoffs.

The Cavaliers have won 16 consecutive games over the Magic — a streak that predates return to the Cavs just before the 2014-15 season.

It is the Cavaliers’ longest winning streak over a single opponent in franchise history and also is tied for the longest active streak over a single opponent in the NBA.

“I think more than anything it’s just that big games should be fun for us,” Magic center

said. “We have to take it as a challenge because that’s when we really get to taste what it feels like to compete at a high level.”

But the Magic’s troubles run even more deeply against James than against the Cavaliers.

The Magic have lost 17 consecutive games in which James has played.

In those 17 games, James averaged 23.0 points, 7.1 rebounds, 8.5 assists, 1.9 steals and 2.7 turnovers per game.

The first eight defeats occurred when James played for the Miami Heat. The last nine losses have occurred with James on the Cavaliers’ roster.

Tonight, the Magic will get another chance to end their losing streaks against James and against the Cavaliers.

“We’re going to take our best shot at them, and hopefully we can give them a damaging loss,” Vogel said. “It would be a good win for us down the stretch here as we’re looking for positives and trying to build momentum and build winning habits. That would be a great win for us if we’re able to do it. So we’re going to come in and give it our best.”

Forward who has missed the Magic’s last six games with what team officials say is a sore lower back, did not make the trip to Cleveland on Monday afternoon and will not play against the Cavaliers.

His absence will continue to free time for the Magic to keep experimenting with playing

at power forward in small-ball lineups.

It would not be a surprise if Green does not play again this season.

His performance on the offensive end has been a disappointment, and his contract for the Magic lasts just for this season.

Green has shot a careerlow 39.4 percent from the field and a career-low 27.5 percent from 3-point range.