Orlando Magic Grades: Cleveland Cavaliers 105, Orlando Magic 99

The Orlando Magic fell behind early as the Cleveland Cavaliers seemed to coast to a win. The Magic though fought back and salvaged something in defeat.

VS.

	1	2	3	4	T
Magic	20	25	17	37	99
Cavaliers	33	29	18	25	105

The Orlando Magic looked as lifeless and disappointingly frustrated in the first half against the Cleveland Cavaliers as they had in a blowout loss to the Detroit Pistons. LeBron James had run roughshod over the team with little resistance. The Magic fell behind by 22 points.

Things did not look much better early in the third quarter. There were signs things were getting better.

The Cavaliers stopped hitting impossible shots and the game slowed down. The Magic finally found their footing.

The defense began challenging shots at the rim and closing down Cleveland’s shooters. Orlando got out in transition and found a good balance attacking the basket. When the Magic did not, a big was there waiting to clean up. The ball began moving better and shots started falling.

The Magic chipped away before the dam finally broke. And there they were with a minute left, down by three points against the defending champions. All the frustration and poor chemistry was put behind them for a moment.

D.J. Augustin led the way with his ability to get to the basket. Bismack Biyombo provided a strong back stop and an even stronger screening and physical presence and the Magic offense just worked better. Orlando just needed to execute to complete the comeback.

That last piece did not come to pass for the Magic. J.R. Smith hit three 3-pointers in the fourth quarter, including a back-breaking three as Evan Fournier hedged too much to defend a LeBron James pick and roll .

The Magic could not complete the comeback in falling 105-99 at Quicken Loans Arena on Saturday. But in the process they may have found something to build on. Of course, none of that will matter if the team does not carry it through to Tuesday’s game.

At least the Magic competed after two disappointing efforts and found a way to make it a game late. Problems still persist and hover around this team.

B+. Without doubt, the Orlando Magic do not get back into this game without D.J. Augustin. After a relatively slow start, Augustin became the offensive catalyst in the fourth quarter. His ability to get into the paint and score and challenge Cleveland’s defenders helped as did his ability to hit from the outside.Augustin finished with 13 points and three assists, making 5 of his 12 shots. It was a solid overall outing for Augustin as he did exactly what he should off the bench.Augustin still had some weak defensive possessions and his shot selection could be suspect. But the when he was getting downhill, he was exactly what the Magic needed to add some energy to the game.. PG. Orlando Magic. D.J. AUGUSTIN

C+. Evan Fournier was the Orlando Magic’s leading scorer with 22 points in the game. He finally got his shot going with 9-for-16 shooting. He hit a couple 3-pointers. It started to look like the regular Evan Fournier.That is the good part of Fournier. His defense though was still relatively lacking. He was overpowered when he got matched up on LeBron James. He often reached when he tried digging down on the paint. And he got caught wondering off of J.R. Smith on several occasions. It was not what the Magic need from that position and a gaping hole for the interior defense to cover.Fournier, after a strong preseason, seems to be rounding into form in some ways. He is struggling with the added attention he is getting. But he finally produced on the offensive end. A sign that he is rounding back to form.. G/F. Orlando Magic. EVAN FOURNIER

B. Bismack Biyombo still seems to be getting his feet under him in an Orlando Magic uniform. In one instant, he is passive and out of position. In the next, he is the physical defensive monster the Magic need.The first half saw Biyombo be largely ineffective. He could not get to his spots well and was a liability offensively even around the rim. The Cavaliers had him swarmed and he looked pretty passive.The most encouraging sign from the game came in the second half and the fourth quarter. There, Biyombo became much more physicla. He set hard screens that freed up Augustin to get into the paint. And he was not afraid to mix things up for rebounds or get physical with the Cavaliers. It was clear he was getting under their skin.The Magic’s change in aggression on both ends in the fourth quarter certainly got a push from Biyombo’s presence and play at that time.. C. Orlando Magic. BISMACK BIYOMBO

B. <a rel=. F/C. Orlando Magic. SERGE IBAKA