The Cleveland Cavaliers traveled to the Kia Center for a nationally televised game against the Orlando Magic on TNT and did not disappoint. The Cavs were without their superstar, Darius Garland, but it didn’t matter. Cleveland’s high-powered offense was on full display, shooting 56% from the field compared to Orlando’s 37%, and 59% from three-point range to Orlando’s 18%. The Cavaliers cruised to a 122-82 victory, beating the Magic by 40 points. While Cleveland has racked up several double-digit wins this season, this one felt particularly special.
In a game where no Cavs starter played more than 30 minutes—Evan Mobley led with 27 and Donovan Mitchell played just 23 minutes, scoring 11 points—Cleveland’s bench came to play. At the end of the first quarter, the Cavaliers led Orlando 34-16, fueled by a 24-7 run, with the bench outscoring Orlando’s by 12. The effort was spearheaded by De’Andre Hunter, who went on a personal 9-0 run, pushing Cleveland’s lead to 19-9. Hunter went 3-for-3 from beyond the arc, tying his career high for threes in a first quarter. He finished with 17 points, shooting 62% from the field, including 4-of-5 from three-point range.
During the second quarter, Orlando went on a 10-2 run to trim Cleveland’s lead from 23 to 15 points midway through the period. But it quickly became clear that the Cavs were just playing with their food. After the Magic’s run, Cleveland responded with a 27-9 run of its own, effectively putting the game out of reach. Ty Jerome, again coming off the bench, showcased why he should be in the conversation for Sixth Man of the Year with a 20-point performance in just 21 minutes. He shot 7-of-12 from the floor, including 4-of-6 from deep. Cleveland’s bench outscored Orlando’s by 20 points in the fourth quarter alone, going on a 19-4 run. By the final buzzer, the Cavaliers’ bench had outscored the Magic’s 61-13. That performance contributed to half of Cleveland’s total points, underscoring the team’s depth and the importance of their contributions beyond the starting lineup.
When the Cavs play this level of “team basketball,” it’s no surprise they hold the best record in the NBA, sitting atop the standings with a 48-10 mark.
Cleveland is a matchup nightmare for opposing teams when their role players step up. Teams that rely heavily on their starters to carry the scoring load struggle to keep up when the Cavs can turn to multiple bench contributors to sustain or extend leads. While stars like Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland and Evan Mobley draw attention, role players like Hunter and Jerome provide instant offense, making it difficult for opponents to game-plan defensively. Shutting down one or two players isn’t enough; the scoring is so balanced across the roster.
The bench’s stellar performance also forces opposing second units to step up—most can’t match that level. When teams overextend their starters to keep pace, fatigue and breakdowns often follow. When Cleveland plays its best—locking down defensively and getting balanced scoring—it’s one of the toughest teams to beat.
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The victory extended the Cavaliers’ win streak to eight games heading into their Friday night matchup with the Boston Celtics at TD Garden on February 28.
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