Cavs Top 3: Cleveland Cavaliers prove illusions aren’t real in win over the Orlando Magic

The Cleveland Cavaliers held off a talented Orlando Magic team on Wednesday night.

The Cleveland Cavaliers and Orlando Magic had an interesting affair in the Cavs’ 103-92 win on Wednesday. Some star players didn’t put up their best stat line, like Donovan Mitchell, but were super important in key moments. Like Mithcell’s dunk that killed half of Orlando’s collective soul. Then there were guys who had great stat lines, like Paolo Banchero, who had a great stat line but didn’t have a sizeable impact.

It was an odd game. The Magic saw Banchero and Franz Wagner finish with solid numbers, Banchero is having an exciting rookie year, but credit goes to Dean Wade, who, when matched with Banchero, really did a good job limiting him.

It wasn’t until the 4th quarter that Banchero was unleashed. He dropped 12 in the final quarter of action and shot 6-10, dropping 16 points in the final quarter. Before that, he was just 4-9 for 13 points and was being handled pretty well by Dean Wade.

Banchero was able to get off Wade in the 4th and went off, and while the Magic may be winless, the combo of Banchero and Wagner is lethal. They’re also well coached, as they disrupted the Cavs inside game all night.

Jarrett Allen still came to play and dominated in a big way, especially in the fourth quarter, but Evan Mobley and Wade weren’t having the best night rebounding. The same could be said for Donovan Mitchell, who only shot 5-19 on the day, though a lot of those misses were from three. The Magic kept the paint clean and that should be applauded. It’s not an easy thing to do.

So as we move into the Top 3, we just want to address one name that is missing and that’s Mobley. He had a team-high 20 points but was also giving up opportunities to guys like Bol Bol all night and until the final minute, he had a Box+/- of zero. If there were a fourth spot, he’d go there for the night, but his play was too uneven to count him.

The Cavs play the Celtics on Friday.

Cleveland Cavaliers Top 3 vs. the Orlando Magic

1 Point – Cedi Osman

Cedi Osman only shot 41.6% on the night and a rough 1-5 from three, but he still mustered 14 points, as well as seven rebounds and three assists while playing some solid defense.

2 Points – Dean Wade

Paulo Banchero is going to be a guy who gets his seemingly every night, but Dean Wade played him well in the first three quarters before they got away from that. He also hit 4-7 from three, which adds to my belief that even with Darius Garland back, Wade should be starting.

3 Points – Jarrett Allen

It’s a team effort in every game, yes, but the Cavs don’t win the game on Wednesday without Jarrett Allen going full beast mode in the fourth quarter. Things were chippy all evening and there were a few fouls that Allen took that seemed almost personal. He kept his composure, however, and made sure to show up when needed most. Allen finished with 18 points and 16 rebounds and the team needed every single one of them.

Cavs Top 3 Seasonal Standings

1. Donovan Mitchell – 9 Points
2. Cedi Osman – 6 Points
3. Jarrett Allen – 5 Points
4. Kevin Love – 2 Points
5. Dean Wade – 2 Points