After three straight losses, LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers reminded everyone they’re no pushovers. Down big at the half, the Cavaliers rallied big time in a 106-100 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers on Tuesday. King James and the Cavs now travel to Orlando in a primetime matchup against the Magic.
The Magic have been pretty strong at Amway Center, riding a three-game home win streak. Can their recent success at Orlando help them snap a long losing streak to Cleveland? Read on as we take a look at this Eastern Conference clash.
The Cleveland Cavaliers made a statement Tuesday night, rallying from an 18-point first half deficit to beat Portland 105-100. LeBron James was his usual kingly self, finishing with 33 points and 10 rebounds. He scored 14 of his points in the fourth quarter.
[sc:NBA240banner ]James is playing out of his mind this December, averaging 31.3 points per game. He was relatively quiet in his first outing against Orlando on November 23, scoring a mere 15 points. But he did make sure to set up his teammates, dishing out a season-high tying 13 assists. With James assuming playmaker duties against the Magic, Kevin Love and J.R. Smith took the opportunity to shine in a 117-103 win.
Love went 11 of 18 (6 of 9 from beyond the arc) for a game-high 34 points against the Magic. Smith was also pretty hot, scoring 26 points on 10 of 16 shooting (6 for 10 from three). While Love has struggled recently with 14.4 points per game on 37 percent shooting in his last five games, he could see an uptick in his performance against the Magic.
Love won’t only have James finding him for wide-open threes, he could also benefit from the added space that the play of point guard Mo Williams brings. Williams sat out the first matchup against Orlando due to an ankle injury. While he hasn’t been lighting up the scoreboard, Williams has been pretty efficient shooting 50 percent from the field since returning to action.
The Cavaliers are 11-0 SU/ATS in their last 11 games against Orlando.
Betting on the Orlando Magic
After capping a four-game road trip with a loss, the Orlando Magic return home against familiar foes in the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Magic dropped a 107-104 loss at Phoenix on Wednesday night despite a spirited fourth-quarter comeback. Down 11 entering the fourth quarter, the Magic outscored Phoenix 31-23 in the final frame, but failed to ultimately win the game.
Nikola Vucevic led the way with 21 points and 11 rebounds, but missed a short putback that could have tied the game in the final minute. Tobias Harris chipped in 16 points on 6 of 13 shooting. While Vucevic and Harris are solid players ranking second and third in the team with 15.2 and 14.8 points per game respectively, they could find themselves struggling against a Cavaliers team that beat them earlier this season.
Vucevic and Harris combined for just 19 points against the Cavaliers on November 30. Evan Fournier, who leads the team with 15.6 points per game, led the starters with 13 points in that matchup. If Orlando is to finally break its losing streak to the Cavaliers, they’ll need their top three players to play much better.
The Magic could still turn to Harris to lead them against Cleveland. Harris has played much better at home this season, scoring an average of 18.2 points per game on 52 percent shooting. Vucevic is also playing better at home, scoring 15.3 points per game while hauling in 8.2 rebounds per game.
The total has gone over in five of the last six meetings at Orlando.
Writer’s Prediction
Cleveland extends its win streak over Orlando, but the Magic manage to keep it too close for comfort in a shootout. Win big on the incredible NBA season. Create a betting account now and wager away on the best basketball action on the planet.
