Orlando ends ugly streak, clobbers Cleveland
CLEVELAND — Off-balance, D.J. Augustin heaved the ball toward the hoop as the shot clock ticked down in its final seconds, and it’s safe to say almost no one inside Quicken Loans Arena thought the ball would go in.
It banked off the glass. And it went through the hoop, prompting Nikola Vucevic to raise both arms into the air, like a football referee signaling a touchdown. That play, which put the Magic ahead by 17 points late in the third quarter, describes what happened when the Magic played the heavily favored Cleveland Cavaliers on Saturday night.
With starters Elfrid Payton and Aaron Gordon out with injuries, it seemed as improbable for the Magic to beat LeBron James’ Cavaliers as it was for Augustin to make the 3. But fueled by hot shooting, superb ball movement and the Cavaliers’ poor 3-point shooting, the Magic shocked the Cavaliers 114-93.
“I’m really happy for this team," Vucevic said. “It’s a great win. But we need to use this to build on it and not just be happy."
With the victory, the Magic snapped a 17-game losing streak against the Cavaliers and gave themselves a surprising momen-
tum boost. Orlando made 17 of its 35 attempts from 3-point range while Cleveland — a team that usually eviscerates Orlando with its long-range prowess — went just seven of 25 from beyond the arc.
“Keep it in perspective," coach Frank Vogel said. “Cleveland certainly wasn’t at their best tonight. They had a tough night. Our guys capitalized by playing the right way offensively and really trying to work hard on the defensive end."
Vucevic finished with 23 points, seven rebounds and five assists while Augustin added 12 points, four boards and 10 assists.
Orlando dominated the first half, but Cleveland seemed to wrest control midway through the third quarter. Iman Shumpert made Cleveland’s first 3 of the night with 8:58 remaining in the period, cutting Orlando’s lead to 63-50. A few minutes later, James blocked a fast-break layup attempt by Augustin from behind. On the Cavs’ ensuing possession, Dwyane Wade drained a trey, eroding the Magic’s lead to 65-58.
“Last year we probably would’ve crumbled and let them get the lead back," Augustin said. “But this year, we’re staying more poised, staying calm, and we just kept doing what we know we can do."
True. The Magic responded with a 12-0 run, beginning with a 3-pointer by Evan Fournier, a pair of free throws by Fournier and Augustin’s improbable 3 off the glass late in the shot clock. A transition Eurostep layup by Jonathon Simmons continued the outburst and extended the lead to 77-58 with 3:19 left in the third quarter. After a Cavaliers timeout, Kevin Love turned the ball over, and Vucevic followed with a baseline jumper.
The Cavaliers (2-1) never recovered, and the Magic (2-1) never let up.
“This game had lots and lots of positives, one of the most positive that we’ve had in a long time," Vucevic said.
The night started with one of the Magic’s best first quarters in years. They shredded the Cavaliers’ defense, making 14 of their 24 shot attempts, including 8 of 13 attempts from deep.
The secret? Unselfish ball movement. Orlando recorded assists on 13 of its first 14 baskets.
As tipoff approached, perhaps sensing that Mag- ic rookie Jonathan Isaac would guard him, James tweeted: “Can 8pm hurry up and get here! I'm so ready to hoop again! #StriveForGreatness #SavageSeason."
But although James had some positive moments Saturday, he didn’t control the game like he normally does against the Magic. In 31 minutes, he scored 22 points and only had two assists.
Entering Saturday, the Magic had lost 17 consecutive regular-season games against Cleveland, the longest losing streak against a specific opponent in Magic franchise history. Vogel was asked before tipoff whether he mentions the streak to his players.
“Never," Vogel said.
“That has nothing to do with this year’s team in my mind. I didn’t even know that was the case. It’s a non-factor to me. We’re here to win tonight. We know we have a chance to win tonight, and that’s all we’re focused on. And what happened five years ago is completely irrelevant." Vogel was right. Fans started to file out of Quicken Loans Arena with 8:21 remaining in the fourth quarter and the Magic ahead 99-67. The Magic eventually built a 37-point lead.
The night belonged to the Magic.
Improbable but true.