The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
Magic wears off new season
Orlando ends 17-game loss streak to Cavs, who suffer first loss of year in poor effort
Nikola Vucevic scored 23 points and the Orlando Magic snapped a 17-game losing streak against the Cavaliers, routing the defending Eastern Conference champions, 114-93, at Quicken Loans Arena on Saturday night.
Orlando’s first win over Cleveland since Nov. 23, 2012, came in convincing fashion. The Magic never trailed and built a 21-point lead late in the first quarter. Orlando led, 36-18, after the first, hitting 14 of 24 from the field.
The Magic, which made 14 of 35 3-pointers, took its biggest lead, 106-69, midway through the fourth quarter when both teams cleared their benches.
LeBron James scored 14 points in the first quarter and finished with 22 as the Cavaliers lost for the first time in three games.
Cleveland trailed, 56-45, at halftime and cut the lead to 6558 midway through the third when James blocked D.J. Augustin’s drive and Dwyane Wade hit a 3-pointer. The Magic answered with a 12-0 run, including a
banked-in 30-footer from Augustin and two baskets by Vucevic.
Vucevic, a night after scoring a career-high 41 points in a loss to Brooklyn, was 11 of 16 from the field.
Cleveland coach Tyronn Lue called timeout less than five minutes into the
game when Orlando took a 15-4 lead. The Magic continued to build the margin, which reached 42-20 early in the second quarter on Bismack Biyombo’s tip-in.
Jonathon Simmons scored 19 points while Evan Fournier added 13 for Orlando. Iman Shumpert scored 21 points and Kevin Love had 18 for Cleveland.
Derrick Rose missed the game for Cleveland with a sprained left ankle. He
twisted his ankle after being fouled by Milwaukee’s Greg Monroe while driving to the basket on Friday.