CLEVELAND, Ohio – Off to a flawless 5-0 start – Cleveland’s best start to a season since 2016 – the Cavs host a familiar foe in the Orlando Magic on Friday at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse with tipoff at 7pm on ESPN.
This matchup, a highly anticipated rematch of last year’s thrilling first-round matchup, arrives with the Cavaliers making new strides under Kenny Atkinson and the Magic dealing with a major setback.
Orlando rookie star Paolo Panchero, who was instrumental in forcing a Game 7 postseason last year, will be sidelined with a torn oblique that was diagnosed late Thursday. With Banchero out, the Cavaliers are poised to take advantage of the Magic’s weak offense and look to solidify their position as an early contender in the Eastern Conference.
Here’s what to know about the match:
Who: Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Orlando Magic
Series: The first three matches of the regular season.
Where: Field Mortgage Rocket.
When: 7:00 PM ET.
Point Spread: Cavs minus 7.5; S/Sh 217.5
TV: ESPN and FanDuel Sports Network – Ohio
Injury report
cleveland:
outside:
Max Struss (ankle); Emoni Bates (knee/two-way); GT Thor (two-way); Luke Travers (two ways).
questionable:
Craig Porter Jr. (thumb)
charm:
outside:
Paolo Banchero (pervert)
questionable:
Franz Wagner (illness); Goga Bitadze (foot)
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