Magic
Harden, Cavs bench bury Magic early in preseason romp
The Cavaliers beat the Magic 119-105 at Rocket Arena, building an 18-point lead behind James Harden's 24 points and a 57-52 edge off the bench. It's a preseason game, so neither team's 0-0 record changes, but Cleveland improves to 1-1 all-time in preseason head-to-head looks this fall while Orlando continues to search for consistency.
By the Hoops Nightly Desk · updated 8 d ago01The story of the nightCleveland's fast start held upThe Cavaliers opened with a 32-28 edge in the first quarter and never trailed by more than a point the rest of the…
The Cavaliers opened with a 32-28 edge in the first quarter and never trailed by more than a point the rest of the way — Orlando's biggest lead was just 1, against Cleveland's 18. Cleveland led 61-50 at the half after a 29-22 second quarter, then pushed it to 90-75 with a 29-25 third. Both teams scored in the 29-30 range in the fourth, so the final margin came from the middle two quarters, not a late burst. Only two lead changes all night tell the story: this was Cleveland's game from the opening basket on.
02Harden leads a balanced Cavs attackJames Harden scored 24 points on 7-of-10 shooting, including 3-of-5 from three and 7-of-9 at the line, in just 26…
James Harden scored 24 points on 7-of-10 shooting, including 3-of-5 from three and 7-of-9 at the line, in just 26 minutes. Evan Mobley added 14 points and 7 rebounds despite a quiet 3-of-10 shooting night, going 8-of-9 at the free-throw line instead. Donovan Mitchell chipped in 11 points and a team-high 6 assists. For Orlando, Tristan da Silva led the way with 17 points on 4-of-11 from three, while Jase Richardson added 12 points and 4 assists.
03The bench and the free-throw line decided itCleveland's reserves outscored Orlando's, 57-52, led by Jaylon Tyson's 13 points and Mario Hezonja's 13 points with…
Cleveland's reserves outscored Orlando's, 57-52, led by Jaylon Tyson's 13 points and Mario Hezonja's 13 points with 2 steals and 2 blocks. The Cavaliers also won at the free-throw line, going 26-of-30 compared to Orlando's 18-of-25 — an 8-point edge that outweighed Orlando's 42-38 advantage in the paint. Orlando actually scored more points off turnovers, 22 to 15, despite committing fewer turnovers than Cleveland, 18 to 20, but it wasn't enough to offset the free-throw gap and Cleveland's 12-8 edge in fast-break points.
04What it means for each teamThis is a preseason game, so it doesn't touch either team's actual record, but it's a clean look at role battles.
This is a preseason game, so it doesn't touch either team's actual record, but it's a clean look at role battles. Harden and Hezonja gave Cleveland encouraging efficiency off the bench and from a starter still finding rhythm. For Orlando, Paolo Banchero's night — 10 points on just 1-of-10 shooting, offset by 7-of-10 free throws, with 3 turnovers — is the kind of outing a preseason game is built to smooth over before games start counting.
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