CLEVELAND – In their first game without injured All-Star Paolo Banchero, the Orlando Magic lost their Friday night matchup against the Cleveland Cavaliers after Darius Garland scored 25 points and Donovan Mitchell added 22, leaving the score at 120-109.
The Cavs are the only unbeaten team in the Eastern Conference. The last time Cleveland started 6-0 was in 2016 with LeBron James. The club’s best start was 8-0 in 1976.
The early meeting between Orlando and Cleveland was a rematch of last season’s tense opening-round playoff series won by the Cavs in seven games.
Banchero is expected to miss at least a month — and maybe longer — with a torn right oblique. The No. 1 overall pick in the 2022 draft was on an early tear, averaging 29 points with 8.8 rebounds and 5.6 assists before getting hurt Wednesday.
Orlando’s Jalen Suggs scored a career-high 28 points and had eight rebounds and seven assists. Franz Wagner had 17 points.
Cleveland rookie Luke Travers made his NBA debut. The Australian scored four points in garbage time.
Takeaways
Magic: Life without Banchero won’t be easy, but it could lead to Suggs further developing his offensive game and others stepping up.
Cavaliers: Have bought into first-year coach Kenny Atkinson’s offensive system by playing at a faster pace and shooting more 3-pointers.
Key moment
The Magic hung around and were still within 10 late in the third quarter, when Cavs reserves Caris LeVert, Sam Merrill and Georges Niang all made 3-pointers in the final 2:17 to give Cleveland a 17-point lead going to the fourth.
Key stat
Cleveland improved to 30-7 in Mitchell’s last 37 regular-season games since January.
Up next
The Magic continue their trip at Dallas on Sunday. The Cavs play Saturday in Milwaukee before hosting Bucks on Monday.
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