Cavs vs. Magic preview and gamethread

Cavs need to stay fiery.

The Cleveland Cavaliers are eyeing franchise history. They’ve already set their personal record for most consecutive wins (twice this season) and now, the Cavs are quickly approaching the most wins in a single season (66). A win against the Orlando Magic will get them one step closer.

Who: Cleveland Cavaliers (56-10) vs Orlando Magic (31-37)

Where: Rocket Arena – Cleveland, Ohio

When: 1 pm EST

TV: ABC

Line: Cavs -11

Expected Cavs starting lineup: Darius Garland, Donovan Mitchell, Max Strus, Evan Mobley, Jarrett Allen

Cavs injury report: Donovan Mitchell – QUESTIONABLE (groin), Evan Mobley – QUESTIONABLE (foot), Luke Travers – OUT (G League), Emoni Bates – OUT (G League), Nae’Qwan Tomlin – OUT (G League)

Expected Magic starting lineup: Cory Joseph, Tristan Da Silva, Franz Wagner, Paolo Banchero, Wendall Carter Jr.

Magic injury report: Jalen Suggs – OUT (knee), Cole Anthony – QUESTIONABLE (toe), Mac McClung – OUT (G League), Ethan Thompson – OUT (G League), Mo Wagner – OUT (knee)

What to watch for

Winning can be exhausting. This 16-game streak has been full of ups and downs. The Cavs have overcome multiple double-digit deficits to keep it alive — but they’ve also demolished opponents along the way. Most recently, a dominant victory over the Memphis Grizzlies.

Orlando won’t pose as much of a threat as Memphis. At least, not in terms of talent. But the Magic will be as desperate as the Grizzlies were to maintain playoff position. Maybe even more so. The Magic are currently 8th in the Eastern Conference and only two games ahead of the 10th-seeded Chicago Bulls.

This has all the makings of a “trap game” where the Magic simply enter this matchup with more energy. The Cavs are banged up with both Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley as questionable to play.

And yet, the Cavs have consistently proven that you should never count them out. They are favorites to win by double-digits at home. That’s the type of respect they’ve earned.

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