Cavs pull away from Magic, win sixth of last eight

The Cavaliers handled business again. Not always pretty. But effective. And that is the point.

Cleveland pulled away from the Magic for a 119-105 road win, leaning on defense, depth, and a second-half takeover from Donovan Mitchell.

The Cavs (27-20) have now won six of their last eight and 10 of their last 14, quietly stacking results.

The first half was rough. Second night of a back-to-back energy. Shots clanking. Mitchell and Evan Mobley combined to go 7-of-22 before halftime, and the offense never fully found rhythm early.

Then Mitchell flipped the switch.

He scored 10 in the third to stretch the lead, then slammed the door in the fourth with 17 more points and three assists. Twenty-seven of his 36 came after halftime.

He finished with 36 points, nine assists, five rebounds, and two steals on 15-of-30 shooting. Star stuff. Timely stuff.

Defense set the tone. The Cavs packed the paint, dared Orlando (23-21) to shoot, and lived with the results.

The Magic went 11-of-40 from three. Cleveland hit over 44 percent from deep and controlled the paint on both ends. That math usually wins.

Mobley did not repeat his monster showing from the Kings game and struggled to score, finishing with 13 on 4-of-14 shooting.

But his defensive impact remained steady, and it showed in how Orlando was forced into tough looks.

The supporting cast also did its job. Jaylon Tyson scored 17. Tyrese Proctor had 12 in under 10 minutes. Dean Wade was perfect from the field, adding 10 points plus three steals and two blocks. Quietly productive night across the rotation.

Paolo Banchero led Orlando with 27. Desmond Bane added 20.

These teams meet again Monday in Cleveland. The Cavs will take this version of themselves every time.