If the Orlando Magic are going to get back on track after their nine-game winning streak was snapped on Saturday, they’ll have to do it against one of the better teams in the Eastern Conference.
Orlando (14-6) faces the Cleveland Cavaliers (11-9) twice in a six-day span. Magic head coach Jamahl Mosley broke down the challenges that Cleveland presents with Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland in the backcourt, plus Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen in the front court.
“Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland are the engines that get that team going,” Mosley said. Then you have [Evan] Mobley and big fella Jarrett [Allen] down [low]. They’re doing a great job at the rim. So you know you got to play against two bigs often so just being able to move the ball, move bodies, and then we got to make sure we rebound the basketball because they do a great job rebound the ball and we got to finish possessions out.”
Mitchell leads Clevland with 27.1 points per game and he has also been opportunistic defensively, averaging 2.1 steals per game, which leads the team and is the second-best in the NBA, only trailing Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
Garland is second on the team in points (19.3) and leads the Cavaliers with 5.9 assists per game. Mobley is averaging a double-double with 16 points and 10.8 rebounds per game.
The Cavs have won three of their last four games and are 7-3 in their last 10 games. Cleveland also has one of the better defensive teams in the NBA, allowing the eighth-fewest points per game (111.2).
Orlando will look to get back into the win column tonight when it faces the Cavaliers on Wednesday at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse at 7 p.m. ET.