Entering Wednesday’s game between the Magic and Cavaliers on ESPN, Orlando owned the top defensive rating in the league since the NBA All-Star break.
Even Cleveland coach Kenny Atkinson said Jamahl Mosley‘s squad was playing much better and with more confidence since the sides last met in late-January.
But the third meeting of the season between the sides was far from a defensive battle inside Kia Center in front of a national TV audience.
In a high-scoring affair that included 12 lead changes, the Magic staved off a Cleveland comeback late thanks to clutch shooting from beyond the arc and at the free throw line to capture a 128-122 victory, marking Orlando’s fifth in a row.
After Cleveland pulled within two points of Orlando with less than a minute to play, Desmond Bane (35 points) sunk a 3-pointer with 18.3 seconds left in the game.
Bane then hit two free throws after Cleveland was forced to foul late and Tristan da Silva (23) added one at the charity stripe.
“Winner,” Mosley said when asked to describe Bane. “Whatever it takes, he is going to do (it). And that’s about the best word that describes him because he embodies so much of it. Winner and leader.”
James Harden (30 points) and Donovan Mitchell (25) combined to score 55 points, but Cleveland (40-26) turned the ball over 10 times for 12 Orlando points.
After the Cavaliers won the first two meetings in late-January, Orlando’s win Wednesday allows the team to potentially end up splitting the regular-season series. The Eastern Conference foes face each other in the regular season a fourth and final time March 24 at Cleveland.
“It just talks about the resiliency of this team,” Mosley said about the six-point win. “We’ve said it before. There’s going to be different ways to win games and we keep finding those ways. Games are going to look different but it’s taking it one game at a time.”
The Magic (36-28) return to Kia Center on Thursday night when they host the Wizards on the second night of a back-to-back.
Banchero’s impact
The Magic forward missed his first two 3-pointers but nailed a pair from distance to post 17 points in the first half.
And when his shot wasn’t falling early, he was finding teammates for baskets, including Tristan da Silva who slammed down a one-handed dunk off a lob. Banchero notched four of his five first-half assists in the opening frame.
Banchero got the third quarter going with a two-handed driving dunk before he finished with 25 points, eight rebounds and seven assists.
The performance was Banchero’s 75th career game with 20-plus points, five-plus rebounds and five-plus assists, tying him with Penny Hardaway for second all-time in franchise history.
“We had to be locked in and this was a great team effort,” Banchero said in the locker room.
Rest of starters
In addition to the early dunk, da Silva scored an efficient eight points in his first nine minutes of the game. The third-year pro hit a pair of triples late in the fourth quarter and scored nine in the final frame.
Bane also scored eight points in the first quarter, having early success driving to the basket. Converting five of his first six shots from the floor, the Magic guard had 12 points before the break, but picked up his third foul with 4:45 left in the second quarter.
Bane didn’t let early foul trouble slow him down when he pieced together a 12-point third quarter. Wednesday’s game marked his 12th time this season scoring 30-plus points thanks to scoring 11 in the fourth.
“More than anything, I just liked our process,” Bane said. “Tristan was saying it coming off the court, like, this is fun. We’re playing a fun brand of basketball on both ends of the floor.”
Jalen Suggs penetrated the paint early and made his way to the free throw line, where he made three attempts. But the Magic guard didn’t score between the second and third quarters after a seven-point first frame.
His triple with 5:28 left in the game put Orlando ahead by 13 points late to help him total 12 points with four assists.
Wendell Carter Jr. recorded his ninth double-double of the season by way of 11 points and 11 rebounds.
Battle of benches
Missing Anthony Black (left lateral abdominal muscle strain), Orlando’s bench was in need of an offensive boost.
That came in a combined effort from Jett Howard and Jevon Carter.
Howard hit the team’s first 3-pointer off a kickout from Banchero late in the first quarter and slammed down a one-handed driving dunk. Picking up four fouls, he ended with eight points and four rebounds in 22 minutes.
Carter missed his first four triples but converted on his fifth long-range attempt. He scored nine points in 20 minutes.
On the other side, Cavs guard Keon Ellis scored 20 points with five 3-pointers while backup big Thomas Bryant notched 12 points.
Cleveland’s bench outscored Orlando’s 36-22.
Rookie watch
Second-round pick Noah Penda entered the contest late in the first quarter. The French forward started the fourth as well, finishing with four points and two rebounds in 11 minutes.
Although he was available after missing the past two games due to back spasms, first-round pick Jase Richardson didn’t see the floor.
Jason Beede can be reached at jbeede@orlandosentinel.com