CLEVELAND, Ohio — The streak had to end sometime.
After 16 consecutive victories, the longest winning run in franchise history, the Cavs finally met their match in a grueling Sunday matinee at Rocket Arena, falling to the Orlando Magic in a physical 108-103 battle.
For a team that had seemingly solved every riddle thrown its way over the past month, Sunday’s loss was a humbling reminder of the thin margins that define the NBA’s elite.
The Cavs stormed out of the gate, controlling pace, space and execution in a dazzling 38-point first quarter. They looked every bit like the offensive juggernaut that had overwhelmed opponents all season.
But then, Orlando settled in.
Without Evan Mobley, who was sidelined with a foot contusion, Cleveland lacked a defensive anchor in the paint, and the Magic took full advantage.
After spotting the Cavs a 13-point lead early, Orlando’s relentless pressure, length, and physicality slowly wore Cleveland down. It wasn’t always pretty, but it was effective. The Magic turned the game into a rock fight, holding the Cavs below 25 points in each of the final three quarters, suffocating the spread offense that had become Cleveland’s calling card.
The game had all the makings of last season’s seven-game playoff war between these two squads.
“I told the guys in the locker room, ‘Listen, man, 16 in a row. We had a couple of these games where they went our way. This is one that didn’t,‘” Cavs head coach Kenny Atkinson said after the loss. “Shooting was definitely a part of it. We did not shoot the ball well enough to win.”
Open shots were rare. Easy buckets were a luxury. Every possession was a battle. With both teams determined to deny clean looks, it became a parade to the free-throw line.
Orlando, the NBA’s third-ranked defense, took full advantage of the whistle, earning 34 free-throw attempts to Cleveland’s 20. Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner, despite inefficient shooting nights, bullied their way to the stripe, combining for 17 free-throw attempts and dictating the physicality of the game.
“Easier said than done, right?” Atkinson said about guarding Banchero specifically. “Keep him out of the paint and then keep him off the free throw line. That’s what we kept saying, and what’d we put them on the line 34 times against that team? And that’s what they do, they drive it and they try to get free throws. But we lost that game. I’d rather see that team honestly get shots up. You put them on the free throw line, that was a big part of their success tonight.”
Still, even as Cleveland’s efficiency waned, the outcome remained in the balance. The game featured 19 lead changes.
But when it mattered most, the Magic were the team that stayed composed.
The Cavs, who had thrived in late-game execution all season, found themselves pressing. The ball movement that had fueled their dominance suddenly dried up, replaced by rushed isolation possessions.
“They’re an excellent defensive team,” Atkinson said. “I thought that stretch at the end of the third quarter, I hate to nitpick on one thing, but they turned us over. They got Ty [Jerome] twice. They got Donovan [Mitchell] once. That seemed like it flipped it.
“But we did not have our normal ball movement tonight. We got ISO heavy, and they kept us out of transition. Again, huge credit to them. That’s their identity but this league is humbling. And if you think you’re like — even 16 in a row, whatever, right around the corner. This is obviously a playoff team and a tough team to play.”
The Cavs committed 11 of their 13 turnovers in the second half. Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell combined for eight of the Cavs’ turnovers.
Mitchell, in his return from a two-game absence due to a groin injury, shouldered the scoring load but never found his rhythm, finishing 9-of-28 for a team-high 23 points.
“We missed some open looks,” Mitchell said after the game. “I think the biggest thing; we just didn’t execute late the right way like we have been.”
Cleveland’s shooting struggles underscored the loss. The Cavs had been nearly unbeatable this season when hitting their marks, but when their efficiency dipped, they became vulnerable.
After Sunday, the Cavs are 2-5 when shooting below 42.5% from the field and four of their 11 losses have come when shooting below 30% from deep. Against Orlando, they shot 41.7% overall and just 25% from beyond the arc—numbers that rarely equate to winning basketball.
Even in defeat, there was little panic from the Cavs. Their 56-11 record remains the NBA’s best, and this loss serves as a valuable lesson rather than a reason for concern.
For a team with championship aspirations, adversity is inevitable. It’s how they respond that will define them.
“I’m careful when I say this. I don’t want to say, like, I’m grateful, but these are the moments you learn from,” Mitchell said. “You have these fourth quarters and [it’s like], ‘Okay, how do we fix it and improve?’ Because we may see these guys in the playoffs. So understanding that and being better.”
Up next
The Cavs head out west for their longest road trip of the season, starting with the Los Angeles Clippers on Tuesday. Tipoff is set for 10:30 p.m. Eastern.
