Donovan Mitchell delivered a dominant performance with 45 points as the Cleveland Cavaliers pulled away late to beat the Orlando Magic 114-98 on Monday night, extending their winning streak to four games.
Mitchell shot 15 of 25 from the field, including five 3-pointers, in 35 minutes. He poured in a season-high 26 points in the first half, setting the tone early for a Cavaliers team that leaned on his scoring throughout. The outburst marked Mitchell’s 25th 30-point game of the season, fourth-most in the NBA, and his fifth with at least 40 points. He also had 36 points in Cleveland’s win at Orlando on Saturday.
Evan Mobley added 20 points and nine rebounds as the Cavaliers matched their longest winning streak of the season and improved to a season-best eight games over .500 at 28-20. Cleveland has gone 11-4 since Dec. 29.
Paolo Banchero led Orlando with a season-high 37 points and 10 rebounds, while Desmond Bane chipped in 19 points, including 15 in the first half. The Magic, however, dropped their third straight game.
Orlando built an early lead, going up 38-27 in the second quarter after a 3-pointer by Moritz Wagner. Cleveland responded by closing the first half on a 12-4 run over the final 2:56, turning a three-point deficit into a 61-56 halftime advantage.
The Cavaliers maintained control down the stretch and finished the game with an 8-2 run to create their largest margin of the night.
Up next:
The Magic continue their road trip at Miami on Wednesday, while the Cavaliers return home to host the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday.
