CLEVELAND — Darius Garland recorded 25 points and Donovan Mitchell contributed 22, leading the Cleveland Cavaliers to a 120-109 victory over the Orlando Magic on Friday night. This win means the Cavs have now achieved a flawless record of 6-0, marking their best start since 2016 when LeBron James was on the roster. Historically, Cleveland’s best start dates back to 1976 when they began 8-0.
This matchup was also notably a rematch from last season’s intense playoff series where the Cavaliers triumphed over the Magic in a narrow seven-game battle. However, Orlando faced this game without their star player, Paolo Banchero, who is sidelined due to a torn right oblique and is anticipated to be out for at least a month. Before his injury, Banchero was enjoying an impressive season, averaging 29 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 5.6 assists.
Orlando’s Jalen Suggs stepped up, scoring a career-high 28 points along with eight rebounds and seven assists, while teammate Franz Wagner added 17 points to the effort. On the other hand, Cleveland made headlines with rookie Luke Travers, who marked his NBA debut and scored four points during the final minutes of the game.
In terms of the team’s adjustments, the Magic will have to navigate life without Banchero, which might open up opportunities for Suggs to enhance his offensive contributions and for other players to rise to the occasion. Conversely, the Cavaliers have fully embraced their first-year coach Kenny Atkinson’s offensive strategies, which emphasize a quicker pace and increased 3-point shooting.
A pivotal moment of the game came late in the third quarter when the Magic were trailing by just 10 points. However, Cleveland’s bench players — Caris LeVert, Sam Merrill, and Georges Niang — hit consecutive 3-pointers in the final moments of that quarter, extending their lead to 17 points by the end of the third.
Statistically, Cleveland has performed exceptionally well recently, standing at 30-7 in Mitchell’s past 37 regular-season games dating back to January. Looking ahead, the Magic will continue their road trip facing the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday, while the Cavaliers are set to play at Milwaukee on Saturday before hosting the Bucks again on Monday.