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Orlando Magic Grades: Cleveland Cavaliers 116, Orlando Magic 104

By Philip Rossman-Reich

Mar 11, 2017; Orlando, FL, USA; Orlando Magic forward Terrence Ross (31) drives around Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) during the second half of an NBA basketball game at Amway Center. The Cavaliers won 116-104. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 11, 2017; Orlando, FL, USA; Orlando Magic forward Terrence Ross (31) drives around Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) during the second half of an NBA basketball game at Amway Center. The Cavaliers won 116-104. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Orlando Magic proved game to keep the game close, but the Cleveland Cavaliers always had control and won easily in their lone trip to the Amway Center.

VS.
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Cavaliers24352829116
Magic25262825104

The Orlando Magic were waiting for the Cleveland Cavaliers to make their run. The only hope was the Magic could withstand it and chip away. Just slowly keep it close and get that last push or that last burst. The Magic were climbing uphill the entire game and could see the top of the mountain, only for it to be a mirage.

LeBron James was eventually going to take over. And the Cavaliers eventually were going to overwhelm the Magic’s stretched defense without a superhuman effort.

This is not the best Cavaliers team ever. The defending champs are struggling right now with a weakened defense and bench lacking the scoring punch.

LeBron James is still the difference. When he took over in the fourth quarter, it silenced any hope of a Magic run. With one drive, bump and finish, the spirit from Orlando deflated. The uphill battle proved too much.

when the Magic cut the lead to six with about two minutes to play, James buried a 3-pointer over Aaron Gordon to end any more thought of a run. Another three later and the Cavs had secured the victory.

James finished with 24 points, 13 assists and 12 rebounds in an 116-104 Cavaliers win.

Orlando was never out of the game. The Cavaliers took as much as a 10-point lead early in the third quarter. And Orlando made a run to come within two or three points. That is when Cleveland would lay the hammer down.

The Magic were forced time and time again to swarm the strong side of the ball and focus attention on James and Kyrie Irving‘s drives only to see them kick it out to the open man for an open 3-pointer. The Cavaliers proved why they are the champs.

It did not matter as much Orlando put in a good effort and got to the line or made a push to keep the game closer than it seemed. The pockets of good play were not enough to topple an opponent like this, even one struggling as much as Cleveland is.

The Magic were game, but not game enough. And nowhere near as connected as they needed to be to take on a Cavs team dialed in just enough.

<strong><a rel=. C. Orlando Magic. NIKOLA VUCEVIC. B

The difference in the game to much of the box score came in the second quarter. The Orlando Magic led by one after 12 minutes when the bench players began to trickle in and dominate the lineups. There, the Magic lost the quarter by nine points and they were climbing uphill the rest of the way. That is not the position any team wants to be in.<p>Credit the Cavaliers for getting LeBron James minutes in these early stretches. That created a massive mismatch the Magic never really solved. <strong><a rel=. F. Orlando Magic. JEFF GREEN. D

C+. This is the kind of matchup Aaron Gordon loves. He always says he loves playing the best players and taking the challenge of defending the league’s best scorers. Indeed, this is the kind of matchup where Gordon tends to show his value by slowing these guys down.<p>Gordon had his moment against James, but they were very few. James torched the Magic all night for a triple-double and had his share of secondary assists to set others up. Gordon was not doing much to stop him. It was an overall disappointing defensive effort for him for that reason. Then again, it is LeBron James.</p><p>Gordon was able to contribute on the offensive end, at times taking it right at James and making him work too. Gordon scored 16 points on 6-for-12 shooting, adding five rebounds and three assists. He was active near the glass and aggressive with his drives, save for a few failed post ups and rushed fadeaways. As Gordon said after the game, this is still the first chapter of his career.</p>. F. Orlando Magic. AARON GORDON

Orlando Magic. TERRENCE ROSS. C. <strong><a rel=. G/F

B. The Cleveland Cavaliers are struggling right now. Their grip on the top spot in the Eastern Conference is slipping some and they have clearly hit something of a rut. They are over-relying on LeBron James too as they cannot seem to get much going with him off the floor.<p>James carried the Cavaliers to victory and they used their 3-point shooting — 15 of 39 for the game — to take control of the game and fend the Magic off. But, despite all of that, the Cavaliers never truly imposed their will on the game. They felt like they were up big but Orlando was always hanging around.</p><p>That does not really seem like a championship team. The Cavaliers should have won this game easily even with the Magic playing energetically. Orlando was doing really nothing to push Cleveland or make them sweat. Count this as a ho-hum victory for a good team over a bad one.</p>. 43-21. 1st East. CLEVELAND CAVALIERS