# Orlando Magic @ Cleveland Cavaliers Game Thread



## hobojoe (Jun 20, 2003)

The Cleveland Cavaliers hope to return to their winning ways when they host the Orlando Magic on Saturday. 

After spending most of the season in first place, the Cavaliers have dropped to second behind the Detroit Pistons in the Central Division after losing three of their last four games. 

Cleveland returns to Gund Arena after losing two road games in Florida. On Tuesday, LeBron James scored 28 points in a 105-102 defeat at Orlando. Jeff McInnis scored 19 and Drew Gooden collected 15 and 13 rebounds. 

The Cavaliers followed with a 100-88 loss at Miami on Thursday. James had 31 points and 10 assists and Zydrunas Ilgauskas scored 23. Gooden recorded his sixth straight double-double with 10 points and 12 rebounds. 

Orlando blew a nine-point fourth-quarter lead in a 112-100 loss at Boston on Friday. Steve Francis scored 26 points before fouling out and Hedo Turkoglu came off the bench to score 22. 

Grant Hill was unimpressive in his first game after being named a starter for the Eastern Conference in the All-Star Game. Hill scored just eight points and committed five turnovers in the loss. 

The Magic lost the only game played in Cleveland last season but won the previous two at Gund Arena. 

LINK


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## JNice (Jul 13, 2002)

Magic at Cavs, 7:30


WHERE: Gund Arena, Cleveland.


RECORDS: Magic 25-21, Cavaliers 26-19.


TV: WRBW-Ch. 65. Radio -- 580 AM (WDBO); Spanish-language -- 1030 AM (WONQ).


MAGIC UPDATE: Orlando looks to go 2-0 against LeBron James and the Cavaliers. The Magic beat the Cavs at home last Tuesday 105-102, avoiding overtime when it was ruled that Cavs G Jeff McInnis launched his 3-point shot after the buzzer. . . . It was James' first game back after missing the previous two with a sprained left ankle. He scored 28 points and had seven assists. . . . Former Magic F Drew Gooden, making his first return to TD Waterhouse Centre since being traded last summer for Tony Battie, scored 15 points and grabbed 13 rebounds. . . . G Doug Christie says he is almost over his bout with the flu.


CAVALIERS UPDATE: Cleveland went 0-2 on its recent swing through Florida, also losing to the Miami Heat 100-88. . . . James appears to be back at full strength. He scored 31 against the Heat and grabbed 10 rebounds.


WHAT TO WATCH FOR: It isn't often that the Magic are outrebounded, but the Cavs beat them on the boards last week 43-33. The reason? Rookie F Dwight Howard was saddled with early foul trouble and grabbed just five. Howard averages 9.7 rebounds per game.


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## hobojoe (Jun 20, 2003)

Almost game time...

This one's going to be very tough to pull out. Cleveland's a very good team, and extremely hard to beat in Cleveland (16-4 at home this season). The Magic are going to have to jump out to a quick lead and keep the Cavs off the offensive boards this game. They killed the Magic on the boards when they played last week (43-33) with Tractor Traylor and Drew Gooden leading the way.


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## JNice (Jul 13, 2002)

Man, Lebron is just massive for a swingman... and *at 20 yrs old*. Just nuts. He makes Doug Christie look like a toothpick.


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## JNice (Jul 13, 2002)

I expect Battie with another good game. He seems to play well against old teams and he might have a little something to prove going against Drew.


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## hobojoe (Jun 20, 2003)

Horrible defense thus far. The Magic play a terrible zone defense. It'd be a good idea to play a zone D against the Cavs because they don't have any great shooters, but when you leave guys wide open and with all day to shoot it, most guys in the NBA can knock it down. Horrible rotation on the perimeter defensively thus far.

The fastbreak is keeping us in the game though.


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## hobojoe (Jun 20, 2003)

Weird end to the first quarter. Steve looks away and gets ball taken from under his nose by McInnis but takes the charge on the other end, getting a foul on LeBron. Then the Magic come back on the other end and Francis gets called for an offensive foul and a tech. One of the worst calls I've ever seen, Steve-o had a legitimate argument there.


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## hobojoe (Jun 20, 2003)

Very active first quarter for Dwight. He was very aggressive, and knocked down 3 of his 5 shots for 7 points. Nice to see him getting some shots up.


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## JNice (Jul 13, 2002)

> Originally posted by <b>hobojoe</b>!
> Very active first quarter for Dwight. He was very aggressive, and knocked down 3 of his 5 shots for 7 points. Nice to see him getting some shots up.


Strange first for Dwight. He took 2 mid-range jumpers in the first quarter. I don't think he's done that in an entire game all season. Missed one and nothing but net on the other. If he can start hitting that with some consistency, watch out. He's got good form.


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## JNice (Jul 13, 2002)

Jameer playing well. 6 pts in the 2nd quarter.

Offense looks pretty good. Shooting over 60%. Hopefully we won't collapse in the 4th like the last game.

Z is in some foul trouble so we need to go right at him in the 2nd half.


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## hobojoe (Jun 20, 2003)

Magic should be up more right now. 

LeBron is way off so far, and the only reason the Cavs are close is because they've got to the line 18 times and made 17 of them (their only miss was rebounded by Ilgauskas and put in for 2). 

Jameer was definitely fouled on that last play of the half.


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## YoYoYoWasup (Nov 14, 2004)

Robert Traylor owns us, which is pretty sad. Box that fat azz out. Anyways, what's with Dwight not playing in the 2nd quarter after a sizzling start? JD = moron.


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## magicfan187 (Jun 28, 2003)

howard played a good first quarter in then davis doesnt stick him back in till 2 minutes to go in the second:upset:


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## JNice (Jul 13, 2002)

We're gonna lose this one. Francis and Hill just aren't scoring enough.


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## JNice (Jul 13, 2002)

:laugh: ... so then Hill hits 3 in a row.


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## JNice (Jul 13, 2002)

ahahhaaha.... ref down, ball kicked into his ... hahah


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## YoYoYoWasup (Nov 14, 2004)

I think Johnny hates Dwight.


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## hobojoe (Jun 20, 2003)

What an awful quarter. Hill's on fire and the Magic manage to lose the quarter by 8 points allowing the Cavs to start the quarter on an 11-0 run. Bad sign: Hedo only has 4 points tonight. We're going to lose, I don't have much hope for this one.


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## hobojoe (Jun 20, 2003)

Hill's doing what he can, but we're going to need Francis to do his thing if want to have any chance of pulling this out.


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## hobojoe (Jun 20, 2003)

6 offensive rebounds for Tractor Traylor tonight. God I hate him. :upset:


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## YoYoYoWasup (Nov 14, 2004)

Traylor is crap, but he owns us because he's too fat for any of our bigs to box out.


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## hobojoe (Jun 20, 2003)

This is ****. Ilgauskas traveled on that first shot before he got his own tip in, and he should've fouled out the next possession throwing an elbow at Battie. Instead, he's still in the game and got 4 points out of that.


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## YoYoYoWasup (Nov 14, 2004)

Why the Magic never go at big men when they have 5 fouls is beyond me. First Dalembert, now Illgauskus.


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## hobojoe (Jun 20, 2003)

Oh well, can't say I expected a win tonight. 

Next 6 games:
vs. Golden State
vs. Atlanta
@ Philly
vs. New Orleans
vs. LA Clippers
vs. Indiana

Probably the easiest 6 game stretch of the season.


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## YoYoYoWasup (Nov 14, 2004)

Tough loss, but the next two games, considering they're at home, should be easy wins. Howard only has 15 rebounds combined the past 3 games, what gives?


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## hobojoe (Jun 20, 2003)

Boxscore 

17 points, 6 assists and 4 rebounds for Hill to lead the way. 

15 and 9 for Francis, never really got his offense going.


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## hobojoe (Jun 20, 2003)

Stacey Augmon needs to be cut. He is just plain awful. He comes in to guard LeBron, and James torches him. No resistence, he just overpowers Augmon for easy bucket after easy bucket. Not only that, on the other end Francis feeds him a perfect pass under the hoop and Augmon misses a wide open freakin dunk. Oh but it gets worse. Battie gets an offensive rebound, passes it back out and eventually it goes into Augmon in the post. Augmon for some reason thinks he has an offensive game and tries to put some moves on LeBron and gets bailed out with a foul call. So he steps up to the line and bricks two free throws. Unbelievable. Has he done anything good all year? Why hasn't he been cut?


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## JNice (Jul 13, 2002)

> Originally posted by <b>hobojoe</b>!
> Boxscore
> 
> 17 points, 6 assists and 4 rebounds for Hill to lead the way.
> ...


Francis with a lot of turnovers but no win this time. He never really seemed to get into the game and usually that means we lose.


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