ORLANDO — The Cleveland Cavaliers finished their preseason Tuesday night with a performance they'd probably prefer to forget, falling 132-116 to the Orlando Magic at Kia Center.
Just two days after defeating Orlando 119-105 in Cleveland, the Cavaliers looked like a completely different team. The Magic controlled the game from the opening minutes, built a 20-point halftime lead, and extended their advantage to as many as 32 points in the second half.
Cleveland finished the preseason with a 1-2 record, but the result itself was less concerning than the manner in which the Cavaliers lost.
With most of their regular rotation available, Cleveland struggled to contain Orlando's offense, committed costly turnovers, and repeatedly allowed the Magic to find open looks.
Orlando Takes Control Early
The Cavaliers fell behind 17-8 midway through the first quarter and spent the remainder of the opening period trying to recover.
Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner created problems immediately, attacking Cleveland's defense and helping Orlando establish an early rhythm. The Magic led 35-28 after the first quarter, but things only got worse for the Cavaliers.
Orlando opened the second period with another offensive surge, extending its advantage to 49-33 before Cleveland could find any consistency.
The Cavaliers struggled to generate quality scoring opportunities, and several turnovers gave the Magic additional chances in transition.
Orlando carried a 72-52 lead into halftime, leaving Cleveland with plenty of work to do.
The Second Half Offers Few Answers
Any hopes of a Cavaliers comeback disappeared during the third quarter.
Orlando continued finding success against Cleveland's defense, pushing its lead to 95-63 with 4:21 remaining in the period. Banchero and Wagner remained effective, while the Magic received additional contributions from Tristan da Silva and Goga Bitadze.
The Cavaliers trailed 108-83 entering the fourth quarter, having allowed at least 35 points in each of the first three periods.
Banchero finished with 24 points, while Wagner added 20 points and eight assists. Da Silva contributed 18 points, giving Orlando several productive options throughout the game.
Cleveland's starters were unable to generate much momentum before head coach Kenny Atkinson began turning to his reserves.
The fourth quarter offered some improvement, with the Cavaliers outscoring Orlando 33-24, but the outcome had long since been decided.
Defensive Problems Overshadow Individual Performances
Donovan Mitchell led Cleveland's starters with 14 points and eight assists, while Evan Mobley added 14 points and James Harden finished with 13. None of the three could generate enough offense to overcome the Cavaliers' defensive struggles.
The Cavaliers did receive some encouraging production from their younger players.
Meleek Thomas led Cleveland with 16 points, scoring 14 in the fourth quarter. Mario Hezonja added 12 points, while Jaylon Tyson contributed 12.
However, the individual performances did little to disguise the team's larger problems.
Orlando repeatedly attacked the basket, found open shooters, and forced Cleveland into defensive rotations that created additional scoring opportunities.
The Cavaliers allowed 72 points in the first half and 108 through three quarters, an uncomfortable result for a team hoping to establish itself as a legitimate championship contender.
It's still the preseason, and exhibition results should be taken with some perspective. However, Cleveland played enough of its regular rotation to make Tuesday's defensive performance worth examining.
The Cavaliers have plenty of offensive talent, but their ability to defend consistently will play a significant role in determining how far they can go this season.
What's Next
Cleveland now has more than a week to prepare for its regular-season opener against the Philadelphia 76ers on Thursday, October 22, at 7 p.m. ET.
The Cavaliers will then return to Rocket Arena for their home opener against the Brooklyn Nets on Saturday, October 24.
After Tuesday's performance, Atkinson and his coaching staff have some obvious issues to address before the games begin counting in the standings.
