Orlando Magic vs Cleveland Cavaliers
PREVIEW: The fifth-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers visit the seventh-seeded Orlando Magic on the second night of a back-to-back after defeating Sacramento on Friday , bringing momentum to a team searching for consistency. The Cavs have won two straight games and captured five of their last seven by emphasizing defensive intensity and execution , a formula that will face its toughest test yet against a rested opponent. Evan Mobley will square off directly against Paolo Banchero in a critical matchup that will test Mobley's ability to dominate on both ends of the floor while matching Banchero's physicality and defensive responsibilities . Unfortunately, neither team has accessible shot quality metrics available for this contest, leaving analysts to rely on traditional shooting percentages and scoring trends to evaluate offensive efficiency.
Orlando enters Saturday having dropped five of their last ten games and currently riding a two-game losing streak while struggling to generate consistent offensive production. Donovan Mitchell continues powering Cleveland's attack, averaging nearly 29 points per game as the team's primary scoring option , while complementary contributions from Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley have solidified the frontcourt, with Jaylon Tyson emerging as a key rotation piece during Darius Garland's recovery. The Magic will be without Franz Wagner due to a knee injury, forcing Paolo Banchero to shoulder the offensive load for Orlando . This matchup features two teams heading in opposite directions, setting up a compelling test of whether Cleveland's upward trajectory can continue against a hungry home squad desperate to stop the bleeding.