Magic at Cavaliers
The Cleveland Cavaliers continue the search for answers to producing their best form consistently when they welcome the Orlando Magic on Monday night. The Cavaliers seemed to be moving forward with a four-game winning streak while sneaking over the .500 mark, but they have dropped four straight since. “We’re a very fragile team right now, we were a fragile team from the beginning,” Cleveland’s LeBron James told reporters after a 110-93 home loss to Toronto on Saturday.
The Cavaliers coughed up an 18-point lead against Toronto after managing only 78 points against Washington one night earlier and must put together a solid effort against the improved Magic. Orlando has won four games on the road already, matching its total from last season, and found itself in eighth place in the Eastern Conference through Saturday. The Magic are one of the league’s best 3-point shooting teams and Nikola Vucevic is developing into one of the top post players.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, FSN Florida, FSN Ohio (Cleveland)
ABOUT THE MAGIC (6-9): Vucevic recorded a career-high 33 points in a 99-92 loss to Miami at home on Saturday and leads the team in scoring (19.4) and rebounding (12.1) while notching 11 double-doubles. The Magic could be without second-leading scorer Tobias Harris (18.8), who missed Saturday’s game with a strained calf and is day-to-day. Rookie Elfrid Payton lost his starting spot when Victor Oladipo returned from injury, but has been very effective the last two games while averaging 12.5 points.
ABOUT THE CAVALIERS (5-7): Cleveland is near the bottom of the league in scoring defense (102.7) and shooting percentage defense (47.7) while looking for a consistent rhythm on offense. James (24.7 points) and Kyrie Irving (21.8) lead the team in scoring and assists (11.6 combined) while Kevin Love is contributing 16.5 points, but shooting only 40 percent from the field. Cleveland center Anderson Varejao has double-doubles in two of his last three games after going without one in his first nine contests.
BUZZER-BEATERS
1. The Cavaliers have beaten the Magic seven straight times, including all four meetings in 2013-14.
2. Orlando is shooting 38.5 percent from 3-point range with G Evan Fournier (46.8, 29 made) and F Channing Frye (43.7, 31 made) leading the way.
3. Cleveland G Dion Waiters is 6-of-23 from the field over the last three games, including 0-of-7 from beyond the 3-point arc.