Magic take care of Cavaliers to earn 1st road win of the season
CLEVELAND (AP) —Evan Fournier scored a season-high 30 points and the short-handed Orlando Magic won on the road for first time this season, beating the Cleveland Cavaliers 116-104 on Wednesday night.
Orlando center Nikola Vucevic and forward Aaron Gordon both missed their third straight game with right ankle injuries, but the Magic didn't need two of their top players.
Terrence Ross and Jonathan Isaac each scored 16 points for Orlando, which was 0-7 away from home going into the game.
Orlando went ahead for good early in the second quarter and steadily built the lead. Cleveland cut a 17-point deficit to 98-90 midway through the fourth, but Markelle Fultz and Mo Bamba hit 3-pointers on back-to-back possessions for the Magic.
Fournier was 10 of 22 from the field and made all six of his free throws, falling two points shy of his career high.
Cavs forward Kevin Love returned after missing two games because of a sore back and had nine points with five rebounds in 24 minutes. He went to the locker room early in the second half and returned briefly in the fourth quarter.
Cleveland, which has lost eight of nine, committed a season-high 25 turnovers. Collin Sexton scored 20 points and rookie Darius Garland had 16.
Orlando, which led by nine at halftime, used a 13-3 run to begin the third quarter to go ahead 72-55 for its biggest lead. The Magic maintained a double-figure lead for most of the second half.
The game was tied at 27 after the first quarter, but Fournier scored 12 points in the second and Orlando built a 50-39 lead. The Magic went ahead by 12 in the opening seconds of the third period, prompting Cavaliers coach John Beilein to call a timeout.
Vucevic averages a team-high 11.6 rebounds and is Orlando's second-leading scorer at 17.1 points per game. Gordon averages 13.1 points and 6.2 rebounds.
Tristan Thompson had 13 points and 15 rebounds for Cleveland.
TIP-INS
Magic: Fultz and Bamba each scored 15 points. ... D.J. Augustin had 10 assists. ... Gordon went through drills during shootaround, but still isn't ready to play.
Cavaliers: Love didn't play against Portland on Saturday when Cleveland broke a six-game losing streak. He also missed Monday's loss to Brooklyn. ... C John Henson hasn't played since the second game of the season because of a strained right hamstring. "He decided he was not ready yet, that he needs more time to heal," Beilein said.
UP NEXT
Magic: Host the Toronto Raptors on Friday. Orlando has won three straight home games.
Cavaliers: Host the Milwaukee Bucks on Friday. The Bucks beat visiting Cleveland 129-112 on Oct. 28.
