Banchero and Wagner combine for 44 as Magic beat Cavaliers, 132-116

Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner gave Orlando a much sharper second look at Cleveland on Tuesday, combining efficient scoring with the passing that kept the Magic’s offense moving throughout their preseason home debut.

The NBA’s official highlights show the forwards finishing possessions in the paint and the perimeter chances created around them.

Orlando beat Cleveland 132-116 at Kia Center, reversing the result of Sunday’s meeting. Banchero scored 24 points on 10-for-13 shooting and collected eight rebounds. Wagner added 20 points and eight assists while making seven of his 10 shots. Together, they accounted for 44 points without needing a heavy volume of attempts.

The separation arrived before halftime. Orlando led 35-28 after the first quarter and outscored Cleveland 37-24 in the second, taking a 72-52 advantage into the break. Another 36-point quarter put the Magic ahead 108-83 entering the fourth. Cleveland won the final period 33-24, but the earlier work had left the Cavaliers too much ground to recover.

That offensive production extended beyond the two leading scorers. Tristan da Silva scored 18 points, making four of 11 three-point attempts and adding five assists. Goga Bitadze had 14 points and six rebounds. Jase Richardson finished with 10 points, four rebounds and four assists as Orlando found contributions throughout its rotation.

The Magic finished with 34 assists on 50 made field goals, compared with Cleveland’s 21 assists on 41 baskets. Orlando also won the rebounding count 54-38 and scored 64 points in the paint. Those advantages gave the home team several ways to keep scoring even when individual perimeter shots missed.

Jalen Suggs made his preseason debut in the game, according to Matt Hanifan’s report for Orlando Magic On SI. Hanifan emphasized Orlando’s ball movement during the regulars’ minutes, noting that the team had 27 assists through three quarters. The final box score also reflects the extra opportunities that came from the Magic’s work on the glass.

Cleveland’s leading scorer was Meleek Thomas, who had 16 points in 13 minutes and made six of nine shots. Donovan Mitchell scored 15 and handed out eight assists. Evan Mobley added 14 points and five rebounds, while James Harden finished with 13 points after shooting 3-for-12.

The Cavaliers made 11 of 35 three-pointers; Orlando made 16 of 44. Banchero’s two makes on three attempts and Wagner’s efficient overall shooting helped the Magic sustain their advantage without depending on one unusually hot stretch from a single shooter.

An exhibition rematch cannot settle how these teams will match up once the regular season begins. It did give Orlando a productive home showing: its leading forwards finished efficiently, the supporting players generated offense, and Cleveland never erased the gap created in the second quarter.

Sources

ESPN: final box score and full play-by-play, October 13 · Matt Hanifan, Orlando Magic On SI: three takeaways from the Cavaliers game