The Cleveland Cavaliers are no longer winless in this year's preseason. On Friday, the Cavs took down the Orlando Magic at the Amway Center, 113-106. Last season's runners-up played without LeBron James, who got shut down for the game after aggravating an ankle injury he suffered during training camp.
Cleveland's NBA veterans led the way for the Cavaliers in the win. Point guard Jose Calderon was the top scorer for the Cavaliers with 18 points off the bench. Three-time NBA champion Dwyane Wade started for the Cavs and tallied 15 points. There was another seasoned player from the second unit that scored in double figures.
It was shooter Kyle Korver who chipped in 11 points.
Before defeating the Magic, the new-look Cavaliers were on a four-game losing slide. They lost to the Atlanta Hawks, Indiana Pacers, Washington Wizards, and the Chicago Bulls.
Young Magic
If the Cleveland Cavaliers relied on NBA veterans to capture the victory, it was youth that powered the Orlando Magic. Aaron Gordon led the Magic with his 21 points and seven rebounds. Jonathon Simmons followed him in scoring with 12. Nikola Vucevic, Elfrid Payton, and Evan Fournier registered 11 points each for Orlando.
Orlando slipped to 3-3 following the loss to the Cavaliers. The Magic had a good preseason overall. They triumphed against teams projected to contend in the new season, while in their losses they displayed competitiveness.
No James versus Irving
A couple of days ago, Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Tyronn Lue discussed the condition of LeBron James. According to Lue, James will be unable to participate in their preseason finale, which happened as he sat out versus the Orlando Magic. The one-time champion coach also suggested that it is possible for the 32-year-old to be on the sideline when the Cavs open their regular season on October 17.
James' status for that matchup is a huge deal since it will be the first time the Cavaliers go up against the rejigged lineup of the Celtics. Last summer, the Cavaliers ended the Kyrie Irving drama by sending the playmaker to Boston in exchange for Isaiah Thomas, Jae Crowder, Ante Zizic, a 2018 first-round pick, and a 2020 second-rounder.
Hopefully James will be available for that contest between arguably the two best teams in the Eastern Conference. Many are expecting these squads to once again face-off in the Conference Finals, similar to what happened in the previous season.
