Turns out, a three-game homestand was exactly what the Wine and Gold needed to jumpstart themselves heading into Boston for the biggest game of the season’s final month.
After a so-so first half, the Cavaliers shifted into overdrive in the third, putting together one of their best stretches of the season and turning a tight game at intermission into a second-half runaway, netting 43 points in the period and pulling away for the 122-102 win – their 50th of the season and 17th straight against Orlando.
The win – Cleveland’s third straight after dropping five of its previous seven – puts the Cavs in a virtual tie with the Celtics atop the Eastern Conference, with a huge showdown set for Wednesday night in Boston.
In that third quarter, the Cavaliers were razor-sharp on both ends – holding Orlando to 35 percent shooting while shooting 71 percent themselves. In the period, Cleveland went 9-of-13 from beyond the arc, outrebounded the Magic, 14-5, and piled up 16 assists on 17 made baskets – with LeBron James and Kyrie Irving handing out seven and six of those helpers, respectively.
Kevin Love, who’s quickly rounding himself back into All-Star form, tallied 10 of his game-high 28 points in the third. On the night, Love finished 9-of-18 from the floor, including 5-of-9 from long-distance, adding 11 boards to notch his 37th double-double of the season.
In terms of finding his form after a long layoff, J.R. Smith has looked like the Swish of old over the past week – recording his fourth straight game of hitting at least four triples, finishing with 19 points on 7-for-11 shooting, including 5-of-8 from deep.
Smith also did most of his damage in the deciding third quarter – tallying 12 points, hitting all four three-pointers he attempted in the period.
Somehow, almost lost in the shuffle, was LeBron James posting his second straight triple-double – his 12th of the season and 54th of his career – finishing with an economical 18 points on 7-for-14 shooting, adding 11 boards, 11 assists and a pair of steals in 37 minutes of work.
Kyrie Irving notched 24 points in the win – his 25th game of 20-plus points in his last 26 outings – going 10-for-14 from the field, including 3-of-5 from long-range, and adding eight assists, four boards and a steal.
Kyle Korver made his return to the lineup after missing the previous four games while nursing a sore left foot – picking up right where he left off, going 3-of-5 from long-range, 4-of-6 overall for 11 points off the bench.
The Magic – who haven’t beaten the Wine and Gold since November 23, 2012 – featured six players in double-figures, led by their top scorer, Evan Fournier, who finished with 21 points in the loss.
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