Magic Falls Short After Cavs SG Donovan Mitchell Goes on Scoring Rampage

The Cleveland Cavaliers proved to be too much for the Orlando Magic.

Jeremy Brener | Apr 4, 2023

Jeremy Reper-USA TODAY Sports

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Orlando Magic

ORLANDO - The Orlando Magic is wishing it had Tuesday night's game back after losing 117-113 to the Cleveland Cavaliers in another tight contest at home.

The Magic trailed by nine points with six minutes to go, but a 10-0 run fueled by a pair of threes from Wendell Carter Jr. gave Orlando a one-point lead with just under 4:00 to play.

However, the Cavs flexed their veteran muscles and outscored the Magic the rest of the way.

Led by 43 points from Donovan Mitchell, the Magic never had an answer for him throughout the night.

The Magic continued to run things by committee with six players in double figures, including a team-high 23 from Markelle Fultz and 20 from No. 1 overall pick Paolo Banchero.

The win gives the Cavaliers their 50th victory of the season, proving that they are one of the best teams in the NBA. While the Magic don't accept any moral victories at this point in the season, Orlando can appreciate the fact that it is competing step-by-step with the league's best.

The loss officially eliminates the Magic from making it to the postseason as the team now sits 4.5 games back of the 10th-seeded Chicago Bulls with three games left to play.

The Magic and Cavs will meet for a rematch Thursday night in Orlando. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:00 p.m.

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Published Apr 4, 2023

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.