Cavs Top 3: Cedi Osman and Darius Garland lead comeback but fall to Magic

Despite strong games from Darius Garland and Cedi Osman, Cavs fall to Magic

The Cavs were looking like lost puppies with a few minutes left to go in the third quarter. Down 18, the Cavaliers rallied behind Darius Garland and Cedi Osman who helped lead a surge in the fourth quarter that nearly resulted in a comeback. Cleveland couldn’t finish off the Magic, however, and fell 109-104.

The Cavs dropped to 21-41 on the year.

Besides Garland and Osman, Isaac Okoro and Jarrett Allen both stepped up nicely. Those four were the primary scorers on the game, with the bench not making an impact and Kevin Love having an off-shooting night. Love, who played his first game since his disastrous turn on Monday, shot badly all night, going 2-11 (2-10 from three), and scoring just six points. He did pitch in six assists and 10 rebounds, so he at least did facilitate offensively.

The bench unit shot 40% on the night and added 24 points but no one player really stood out.

Top 3 Game Performers

1 Point – Cedi Osman

Maybe it’s just him forcing three-pointers, but when Cedi Osman does anything else on the court, he seems like a genuine starter in this league. He shot 1-5 from three, but was 5-8 from inside the arc, with four rebounds, three assists, and 19 points. He was a perfect 6-6 from the free-throw line and really turned it on in the second half.

2 Points – Jarrett Allen

Double-doubles will always get you higher on these lists. The big man put up 17 points and 13 assists on the night, with two blocks, a steal, and an assist.

3 Points – Darius Garland

Another double-double, this time from Darius Garland, who has done everything he could in the second half of the season to rewrite the narrative on him. Garland shot the ball fine, 10-24 but had 25 points, 10 assists, and four steals, however.