The Cleveland Cavaliers have been viewed as inhospitable hosts throughout the early part of the season.
They’ll look to continue to be seen in that light on Friday when they host the Orlando Magic, who have been very accommodating guests in 2022-23.
Off to their best start at home since 2016-17, the Cavaliers improved to 9-1 at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse with a convincing 113-85 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday.
Darius Garland recorded 21 points and nine assists and Donovan Mitchell added 18 and six, respectively, in the lopsided win.
Evan Mobley excelled at both ends of the court on Wednesday.
Defensively, Mobley helped limit 76ers star Joel Embiid to his second-lowest point total (19) and second-worst shooting percentage (37.5) of the season. Offensively, the 21-year-old Mobley made 8 of 10 shots from the floor to finish with 16 points.
The Magic received a first-hand look at Mobley’s all-around game when they visited the Cavaliers on Oct. 26. He made 9 of 15 shots from the floor to finish with 20 points in Cleveland’s 103-92 victory over Orlando.
Top overall draft pick Paolo Banchero collected 29 points, eight rebounds and four assists in that game for the Magic, who fell to 0-4 away from home at that point. Orlando’s results on the road have only gotten marginally better since then.
The Magic dropped to 1-9 away from home after a 109-102 setback at Brooklyn on Monday. They followed that up by losing their sixth game in a row overall with a 125-108 loss to Atlanta on Wednesday.
Orlando, however, saw the returns of Markelle Fultz and Cole Anthony against the Hawks. Fultz made his season debut after being sidelined with a fractured toe, while Anthony missed 17 games due to a torn right oblique.
Fultz finished with eight points, four assists and two steals, while Anthony totaled 11 points, four rebounds and two assists before fouling out in the fourth quarter.
