CLEVELAND _ A scoring surge to begin the fourth quarter and a barrage of 3-pointers in the final minutes were enough for the Cavaliers to take down the Orlando Magic 107-93 Sunday night at Quicken Loans Arena.
The Cavs entered the fourth quarter trailing the Magic 72-67. The fourth quarter, though, squarely belonged to the Cavs, who have struggled all season at the defensive end, often unable to stifle offensive runs by their opponents. For one quarter, at least, they flipped the script.
The Cavs (16-48) opened the fourth quarter on a 13-0 run, capped by a 3-pointer from Jordan Clarkson. The Magic (30-35) went on to battle back, closing their deficit to 85-84 with 6:13 remaining.
What followed was a 3-point barrage from the Cavs to put the game away and bring the faithful at Quicken Loans Arena to their feet. Kevin Love buried a trey to make it 88-84 and was followed by Larry Nance Jr. who drilled a 3-pointer and then a hook shot. After an Aaron Gordon basket made it 96-88, Clarkson hit a 3-pointer and Cedi Osman nailed one as well, opening up a 102-88 advantage.
Clarkson finished with a team-high 18 points on 5-of-9 shooting. Collin Sexton contributed 17 points on 6-of-11 shooting. Love added a double-double with 16 points and 14 rebounds. Osman added 14 points, six rebounds and three assists. Nance ended the night with 11 points, seven rebounds and four assists.
