Darius Garland scored a game-high 25 points to help the Cleveland Cavaliers hold off the visiting Orlando Magic 107-101 Monday night.
Garland fueled a late 12-0 run and dished out a game-high 12 assists. Forward Kevin Love added 19 points and seven rebounds off the bench.
Wendell Carter Jr. had 15 points, a game-high 12 rebounds and six assists for Orlando, which dropped to 20-56 on the season.
Cole Anthony, Mo Bamba and Markelle Fultz each had 11 points for the Magic, who have lost three in a row and six of their last eight games.
The Cavs (42-33) snapped a three-game losing streak with the win. In a span of about eight minutes over the second and third quarters, the Cavs lost two valuable 7-footers.
Already thin up front with All-Star center Jarrett Allen out with a fractured finger, the Cavs lost Lauri Markkanen, who bumped knees with Carter and left the court with 8:59 remaining in the third quarter.
Evan Mobley crumbled to the floor with 5:11 remaining in the second quarter after a drive to the basket by Orlando’s Franz Wagner. Mobley turned his left ankle and was sidelined for the remainder of the game.
Luckily for the Cavs, Markkanen returned with about 9 minutes left in the game and scored 10 points down the stretch, including two key 3-pointers.
The Magic outscored Cleveland 27-21 in the third quarter to pull within one point, 81-80, entering the final quarter. Carter had 15 points after three quarters.
Love had all his points for the Cavs through three quarters.
Mobley’s absence fueled a 20-4 run by the Magic, who pulled to within two at 51-49 with 2:03 left in the first half.
Cleveland recovered and used Garland’s 15 points and six assists to assume a 60-53 lead at halftime.
Carter had eight points in the first half for Orlando.
Mobley’s 10-footer capped an 18-0 run, which opened a 45-25 lead with 8:11 left in the first half.
Garland’s eight points helped the Cavs take a 27-22 lead at the end of the first quarter.
Fultz, Bamba and R.J. Hampton each had six points for Orlando in the opening quarter.
–Field Level Media