Cavs return to winning column with blowout over the Magic

Cavs end skid with a victory against the Magic

The Cleveland Cavaliers finally snapped a five-game losing skid in one of the rare games they were favored to win, blowing past the struggling Orlando Magic squad, 105-92.

After a neck-and-neck battle in the first half, the Cavs pulled away behind the leadership of Darius Garland, who scored half of his game-high 26 points in the final two quarters while also tallying 11 assists and four rebounds.

Up by just five at the half, Cleveland extended their lead to as much as 17 at one point in the game. Thanks in no small part to their collective defense, and the Tower City frontcourt.

The trio was massive in the win, with Jarrett Allen finishing with 19 points to go with 11 boards and two blocks while shooting an uber-efficient 89 percent from the field. Lauri Markkanen was also scorching, adding 20 huge points after making 4-for-8 shots from deep.

Meanwhile, rookie sensation Evan Mobley remained, well, sensational.

Cavs get a huge boost from the returning rook

In his first game back from a sprained elbow, Evan Mobley immediately paid dividends for Cleveland. Despite only having 13 points, the 20-year-old big man also finished with 11 boards and four blocked shots, with his impact going well beyond the stat sheets.

There is a reason the Cavs were 0-4 without their top pick. Not only does Mobley make the team much better defensively, but they can now return to playing those quirky, mismatched lineup combinations that made them successful early in the season.

Apart from Collin Sexton, who’s already been ruled out for the year, the Cavaliers are finally back at full strength. Having Mobley, Lauri Markkanen, Kevin Love, Isaac Okoro, and even Lamar Stevens back in the fold undoubtedly makes the squad markedly better–and deeper.

No more excuses, or claims to moral victories. If the team is serious about chasing for a play-in/playoff berth, now is the time to prove the early-season success was not an anomaly.

As Cleveland floats back to .500 with a 10-10 record for the season, they could very well use this victory as a springboard for when they set back out on another roadtrip, with Western Conference playoff contenders Dallas Mavericks first on the schedule on November 29th.