NBA: Cavaliers win streak halted after Magic comeback
Paolo Banchero #5 of the Orlando Magic goes up for a shot against Ty Jerome #2 of the Cleveland Cavaliers during the second quarter at Kia Center on February 25, 2025 in Orlando, Florida. | Rich Storry/Getty Images/AFP
LOS ANGELES, United States — Paolo Banchero scored 24 points as the Orlando Magic overturned a 13-point deficit to end the Cleveland Cavaliers’ 16-game NBA unbeaten streak with a gutsy 108-103 road victory on Sunday.
Cleveland, the runaway Eastern Conference leaders, had looked poised to extend their franchise-record winning run after surging clear of Orlando early in the third quarter.
But after a season where they have staged hefty winning comebacks of their own, the tables turned on Cleveland in the face of a furious burst of Orlando scoring.
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Although Cleveland led by a slender 83-82 margin heading into the fourth quarter, and threatened to stretch away once more after Donovan Mitchell’s driving layup made it 91-84, Orlando refused to roll over.
Eight more points from Wagner in the final frame and five apiece from Banchero and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope saw the Magic home to silence a 19,432 sellout crowd at Cleveland’s Rocket Arena.
Luka Doncic #77 of the Los Angeles Lakers handles the ball defended by Ryan Dunn #0 of the Phoenix Suns in the first half at Crypto.com Arena on March 16, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. | Meg Oliphant/Getty Images/AFP
Former No. 1 NBA Draft pick Banchero finished with 24 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists while Wagner added 22 points with eight rebounds and two assists as Orlando improved to 32-37 to remain eighth in the Eastern Conference standings.
“It’s a big win,” Banchero said after what was the final leg of a five-game road trip for Orlando. “We knew this was going to be probably the toughest game of the trip.
“To come in here … against one of the better teams in the league, also on a win streak — big win.”
Mitchell led the Cleveland scoring with 23 points, with Jarrett Allen finishing on 20 and Darius Garland adding 19.
Elsewhere Sunday, the Los Angeles Lakers snapped a four-game losing streak and dealt a blow to the Phoenix Suns’ hopes of reaching the playoffs after powering to a 107-96 victory.
Phoenix, sitting 11th in the Western Conference just outside the play-in places, badly need wins as they attempt to force their way into the post-season reckoning.
But 33 points from Luka Doncic and another assured performance from Austin Reaves, who scored 28 points, carried the Lakers to a comfortable victory that left the Suns on 31-37 in the Western Conference standings.
In other games, the Philadelphia 76ers scored an upset 130-125 win over the Dallas Mavericks on the road.
Quentin Grimes led the scoring for a depleted Sixers line-up missing Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and Kelly Oubre Jr, finishing with 28 points.
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