‘STREAK BUSTERS’: Orlando Snaps Cleveland’s 16-Game NBA Winning Streak

By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña

The Orlando Magic made significant headlines on March 17, 2025, after becoming the first team to take down the Cleveland Cavaliers in 17 games, in the ongoing NBA regular season.

Despite trailing by 13 points early in the ball game, the young and upcoming Orlando squad stepped on the gas pedal in the second half to end Cleveland’s 16-game winning streak, 108-103, on the road.

Cleveland went off to the races in the first 12 minutes of the ball game after scoring their highest output, firing 38 points en route to a quick double-digit lead.

Everything just clicked for the Cavaliers offensively, led by the hot shooting of Darius Garland and the paint dominance of Jarrett Allen.

The 1-2 punch helped Cleveland gain the early momentum, backstopped by Donovan Mitchell’s playmaking to locate Ty Jerome and De’Andre Hunter who cashed a barrage of wide-open three-pointers.

When the second quarter kicked off, Orlando’s defensive schemes started to slow down the Cavaliers, limiting them to just 22 points, before asserting their mastery in the third on both ends of the floor.

Orlando kept their defensive intensity, clogging the shaded lane every time Garland set up their offense with a pass at the top of the key to Allen.

By crowding Cleveland’s passing lanes, Orlando was able to pile up the much-needed defensive stops and unleashed a demoralizing 10-0 scoring run to cap off the third frame with a 35-23 advantage.

The game then switched to a mano-a-mano showdown as both squads failed to seize complete control of the tempo. Cleveland relied on their isolation plays with Garland and Mitchell while Orlando stayed aggressive in attacking the Cavaliers’ interior defense.

Cleveland had some moments in the clutch after Max Struss drained a clutch trey followed by an Allen slam that gave them a slim three-point lead, 97-100.

Orlando wasted no time in leveling the score after Paolo Banchero fed Kentavious Caldwell-Pope off a pick-and-pop play. A series of basket exchanges gave the Magic a two-point cushion, 102-100, but Struss snatched the lead for Cleveland after cashing in a clutch three-pointer.

Down by a point with only 47 seconds left, Banchero played hero ball for Orlando after burying the go-ahead perimeter jumper at the top of the key, which gave the Magic a one-point lead, 104-103.

Unfortunately, Cleveland went cold down the stretch and went scoreless in the final 44 seconds of the ball game, rewarding the win to Orlando who became the first team to defeat them in nearly two months.

Banchero capped off his clutch performance with 24 points, 11 rebounds, seven assists, a steal, and a block, while Franz Wagner added 22 markers, eight boards, and two dimes.

Wendell Carter Jr. also unleashed a stellar outing for Orlando as the starting center had a double-double game of 16 points and 14 rebounds.

Orlando will look to sustain their high-level play on March 20, 2025, as they square off against the rolling Houston Rockets team led by Alperen Sengun and Jalen Green.