Cleveland coach Kenny Atkinson has quickly made a mark in his first season with the Cavaliers, guiding them to their best start since 2016-17. With five straight wins to open the season, the Cavaliers aim to stay unbeaten as they face the visiting Orlando Magic on Friday.
Orlando began its five-game road trip with a narrow 102-99 loss to the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday, being held to just 12 points in the fourth quarter. The Magic will need a more consistent effort to keep up with Cleveland, who have scored at least 110 points in every game so far. Under Atkinson’s leadership, fourth-year forward Evan Mobley has become a key piece of the team’s offense.
Mobley posted 25 points in 19 minutes in a 134-110 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday. Donovan Mitchell contributed 24 points, and Allen recorded his third double-double of the season with 20 points and 17 rebounds. Caris LeVert provided a spark off the bench, scoring 16 points in 22 minutes and shooting 68.8 percent from the field and 64.3 percent from three-point range.
The Cavaliers began Thursday with the NBA’s top offensive rating at 123.4, just ahead of the Boston Celtics. Friday’s game will be a rematch of last year’s Eastern Conference first-round playoff series, which Cleveland won in seven games.
Orlando’s Paolo Banchero is off to an impressive start, scoring over 30 points in three of his first five games, including 50 against Indiana on Monday. However, Banchero is listed as questionable for the game against Cleveland due to a right abdominal strain. He scored 31 points in Wednesday’s loss to Chicago, while Jalen Suggs added 17 points, six rebounds, five assists, and four steals. The Magic led by as many as 20 points in the first half before the Bulls rallied in the third quarter to win.
Orlando is shooting 34.6 percent from three-point range and will need to improve against Cleveland, who lead the league at 41.1 percent. Guard Gary Harris mentioned that three-point shooting has been a focus this season. Orlando is one of 10 teams averaging at least 40 three-point attempts per game, and Harris emphasized maintaining that pace.
The Magic are also monitoring the status of forward Franz Wagner, who has been limited by illness in the past two games. He scored seven points, with three rebounds and four assists in 23 minutes against Chicago before exiting early in the fourth quarter and is officially questionable for Friday.
