CLEVELAND — The Cavaliers returned from a string of three consecutive road victories to face a familiar Eastern Conference foe at home. Then the Cavs defeated the Orlando Magic 136-131 on Tuesday, March 24, at Rocket Arena.
The Cavs met the Magic for the fourth and final time during the 2025-26 regular season, winning the season series 3-1. Two years ago, the Cavs and Magic collided in a first-round NBA playoff series, with Cleveland prevailing in seven games. Now the Cavs are on a four-game winning streak and sit in fourth place in the East. The Magic are eighth.
Here is how the nationally televised matchup between the Cavs (45-27) and Magic (38-34) unfolded through our updates:
Cavs defeat Magic 136-131
Cavs All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell scored a game-high 42 points, including 10 in the fourth quarter.
Cavs point guard James Harden scored 26 points and dished out seven assists. Guard Sam Merrill and forward Evan Mobley scored 19 points apiece, and small forward Max Strus had 11 points. Mobley tallied nine rebounds.
Forward Paolo Banchero led the Magic with 36 points.
The theme of the Cavs’ postgame interviews is how they must improve on defense to live up to their potential in the postseason.
Donovan Mitchell makes floater with 13.7 seconds left to give Cavaliers 133-128 lead vs. Magic
Coming out of a timeout, Cavs guard Donovan Mitchell beat the shot clock to make a floater with 13.7 seconds remaining. The clutch basket gave the Cavs a 133-128 lead against the Magic.
Cavs lead Magic 131-128 with 18.9 seconds left
The Cavs had their lead cut to 131-128 with a 5-0 run by the Magic.
Cavs coach Kenny Atkinson called timeout with 18.9 seconds left as the Cavs try to hold on for the win.
Cavs take 123-114 lead vs. Magic with 5:19 left in the fourth quarter
The Cavs led the Magic 123-114 with 5:19 remaining in the fourth quarter after guard Donovan Mitchell used his signature high-dribble move and a floater against forward Jamal Cain.
Mitchell had a game-high 34 points at this juncture, a clear sign his recent left eye injury has improved.
With 6:47 left, Cavs point guard James Harden executed a crazy behind-the-back pass for an assist on a 3-pointer by small forward Max Strus.
Orlando Magic trail Cavs 116-112 after winning challenge with 7:20 left in the fourth quarter
Behind 116-109, the Magic challenged an offensive foul called on guard Tristan da Silva and won. The initial call was a charge on da Silva, but the officiating crew determined Cavs guard Dennis Schroder was not in a legal guarding position as he tried to draw a foul. Therefore, the call was changed to a blocking foul on Schroder.
Then da Silva drained a foul shot to complete the three-point play (he had made a layup against Schroder), trimming Orlando’s deficit to 116-112.
Cleveland Cavaliers lead Orlando Magic 105-97 at end of third quarter
The Cavs led the Magic 105-97 at the end of the third quarter.
Guard Donovan Mitchell scored 16 of his 32 points in the third quarter to help give the Cavs an eight-point cushion entering the fourth quarter.
Cavs point guard James Harden had 26 points through three quarters. Forward Evan Mobley had 15 points, seven rebounds and five assists.
Magic forward Paolo Banchero has been carrying his team. He had 29 points heading into the fourth quarter. Guards Desmond Bane and Jevon Carter had 15 points apiece for Orlando.
Cleveland Cavs lead Orlando Magic 97-91 with 2:55 remaining in the third quarter
The Cavs led the Magic 97-91 during a timeout with 2:55 left in the third quarter.
Cavs guards Donovan Mitchell and Sam Merrill have led Cleveland with 10 and six points, respectively, since halftime. Mitchell has 26 points (tied with Cavs point guard James Harden for the team lead at this stage of the game). Merrill has 14 points, one fewer than Cavs forward Evan Mobley (15 points, seven rebounds and five assists).
Evan Mobley brings energy to beginning of second half, giving Cavs 78-68 lead vs. Magic with 10:47 left in third quarter
Cavs forward Evan Mobley stole the ball and turned the turnover into a fast-break dunk. The Cavs took a 78-68 lead with the play and compelled the Magic to call timeout with 10:47 left in the third quarter.
The Cavs scored the first six points of the third quarter to build the 10-point advantage. Mobley also assisted on a floater by Cavs guard Donovan Mitchell with 11:06 left in the third quarter.
Mobley is flirting with triggering a triple-double alert. He has 12 points, seven rebounds and five assists.
James Harden’s four-point play gives Cavs 72-68 halftime lead vs. Magic
Is James Harden’s toughness underrated?
Harden produced a four-point play with 0.1 seconds left in the second quarter to give the Cavs a 72-68 lead at halftime against the Magic.
Harden made a 3-pointer from the left wing as Magic forward Paolo Banchero fouled him. Harden was shaken up and took a moment to find his way to the free-throw line. He made the foul shot to complete the four-point play.
Remember, Harden is already pushing through a fractured right thumb. He had a game-high 22 points at halftime, edging Banchero’s 21.
Another Cavs star guard, Donovan Mitchell, had 16 points in the first half. Cavs forward Evan Mobley had 10 points and five rebounds.
Still, the Cavs were outrebounded 19-13, outscored 11-5 in second-chance points and lost the turnover battle 6-5 in the first half.
Both teams put on shooting clinics. The Cavs went 27-of-41 shooting (65.9%) from the floor (8 of 16 on 3-pointers, 50%). The Magic went 23-of-44 shooting (52.3%) from the field (8 of 19 on 3s, 42.1%).
James Harden gets hot from 3-point land, giving Cavs 52-47 lead with 6:42 left in the second quarter
Have defensive issues? Can’t consistently rebound? Who you gonna call? James Harden?
The Cavs dialed up Harden for back-to-back 3-pointers with 7:34 and 6:42 left in the first half. He drained both to give Cleveland a 52-47 edge and send Orlando to chat about regrouping during a timeout.
Harden had 16 points at this juncture, and fellow Cavs guard Donovan Mitchell had 14 points.
Cavaliers behind Magic 39-32 at the end of the first quarter
The Cavs will need to defend the perimeter and rebound better if they’re going to defeat the Magic.
Cleveland trailed 39-32 at the end of the first quarter. Orlando guard Jevon Carter made a buzzer-beater 3-pointer to end the first quarter, and the play survived a replay review.
The Magic went 13-of-22 shooting (59.1%) from the floor (7 of 12 on 3-pointers, 58.3%) in the first quarter. The Cavs went 12-of-20 shooting (60%) from the floor (2 of 8 on 3s, 25%).
The Magic outrebounded the Cavs 10-6 and outscored them 7-3 in second-chance points through one quarter.
Magic forward Paolo Banchero had 16 points in the first quarter. Cavs guards James Harden and Donovan Mitchell scored 10 and nine points, respectively.
Cavs trail Magic 29-28 with 2:18 left in the first quarter
After Magic forward Paolo Banchero made a 3-pointer to give Orlando a 29-23 lead with 3:23 left in the first quarter, Cavs small forward Max Strus answered by draining a 3 of his own with 3 minutes remaining.
Then Cavs center Thomas Bryant stole the ball and assisted to guard Keon Ellis on a fast-break dunk. The play cut Cleveland’s deficit to 29-28 and led to a timeout with 2:18 left.
At this stage of the game, the Cavs had outscored the Magic 14-0 in points in the paint.
Paolo Banchero is off to a hot start, and Magic lead Cavs 19-15 with 6:18 left in the first quarter
Magic forward Paolo Banchero scored nine points in the first half of the opening quarter on 3-of-4 shooting from the field (1 of 2 on 3-pointers). Orlando led Cleveland 19-15 during a timeout with 6:18 remaining in the first quarter.
The good news for the Cavs is All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell is also playing well. He has seven points on 3-of-5 shooting from the floor (1 of 1 on 3s).
Banchero made a 3-pointer with 6:19 left to give the Magic a four-point lead.
Below is some pregame information.
Who do the Cavs play in the first round of the playoffs?
The Cavs will have 10 games left in the regular season after they face the Magic.
If the playoffs were to start on March 24, the Cavs would be the fourth seed in the East and face the fifth-seeded Toronto Raptors (40-31) in the first round.
The top six teams in each conference at the end of regular season automatically qualify for the playoffs. The teams placing seventh through 10th compete in the Play-In Tournament for the final two postseason seeds.
As it stands right now, the Magic would face the seventh-place Philadelphia 76ers in the Play-In Tournament.
The Play-In Tournament is slated to run from April 14-17. The playoffs are set to begin April 18.
The Cavs’ regular-season finale is scheduled for April 12 against the Washington Wizards in Cleveland.
Cleveland Cavs injury report vs. Magic
The Cavs ruled out starting center Jarrett Allen (right knee tendonitis) for the ninth consecutive game. Cavs coach Kenny Atkinson said Allen is “trending positive” as he works to come back from the injury.
The Cavs also ruled out wing Jaylon Tyson (left big toe bone bruise) and point guard Craig Porter Jr. (left groin strain). Atkinson said Tyson’s injured toe bothered him when he tried to practice March 23, but Atkinson insisted the injury is not expected to keep Tyson sidelined long term.
The Cavs listed forward Larry Nance Jr. (illness) as questionable with an illness.
The Cavs listed rookie point guard Tyrese Proctor (right quadriceps strain) as probable to play. He has not appeared in a game since Feb. 27.
Orlando Magic injury report vs. Cavaliers
The Magic ruled out four players: guard Anthony Black (left abdominal strain), forward Jonathan Isaac (left knee sprain), guard Jalen Suggs (illness) and forward Franz Wagner (left high-ankle sprain/injury management).
Cavs starters vs. Magic
The Cavs announced they will start the following players:
Magic starters vs. Cavs
The Magic announced they will star the following players:
Cavs wear City Edition uniforms vs. Magic
For the final time this season, the Cavs are using this season’s City Edition uniform and specially designed City Edition home court.
Here is how the Cavs explained in a news release the inspiration for their 2025-26 City Edition presentation:
“This year’s City Edition uniform inspires fans to reconnect with Cleveland’s culture and heritage through Nike’s NBA City Edition Remix campaign, where the iconic “Land” uniform returns with a bold, reimagined look. Building on the Cavaliers’ celebrated 2022-23 City Edition — which paid tribute to the Lake Erie coastline and Cleveland Metroparks’ 25,000 acres of protected greenspace, and introduced fans to “The Land” design — this year’s remix revives that story with fresh colors and details. Inspired by Cleveland Metroparks’ role as the guardian of Northeast Ohio’s natural beauty, the uniform captures the hues of Cleveland’s sunsets and fall foliage.”
How can I watch Cavs vs. Magic on TV tonight? Cleveland Cavaliers’ radio, streaming, broadcast information
The March 24 game between the Cavs and Magic will be televised locally by FanDuel Sports Network — Ohio. It will be televised nationally by NBC and Peacock. The local radio broadcast can be heard via WTAM (1100-AM) or WMMS (100.7-FM).
Nate Ulrich is the sports columnist of the Akron Beacon Journal and a sports features writer. Nate can be reached at nulrich@thebeaconjournal.com. On Twitter: @ByNateUlrich.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Cavaliers score, recap vs Magic. Game highlights, analysis, stats
Reporting by Nate Ulrich, Akron Beacon Journal / Akron Beacon Journal
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