[hobojoe]

The Cleveland Cavaliers hope to return to their winning ways when they host the Orlando Magic on Saturday.

After spending most of the season in first place, the Cavaliers have dropped to second behind the Detroit Pistons in the Central Division after losing three of their last four games.

Cleveland returns to Gund Arena after losing two road games in Florida. On Tuesday, LeBron James scored 28 points in a 105-102 defeat at Orlando. Jeff McInnis scored 19 and Drew Gooden collected 15 and 13 rebounds.

The Cavaliers followed with a 100-88 loss at Miami on Thursday. James had 31 points and 10 assists and Zydrunas Ilgauskas scored 23. Gooden recorded his sixth straight double-double with 10 points and 12 rebounds.

Orlando blew a nine-point fourth-quarter lead in a 112-100 loss at Boston on Friday. Steve Francis scored 26 points before fouling out and Hedo Turkoglu came off the bench to score 22.

Grant Hill was unimpressive in his first game after being named a starter for the Eastern Conference in the All-Star Game. Hill scored just eight points and committed five turnovers in the loss.

The Magic lost the only game played in Cleveland last season but won the previous two at Gund Arena.

LINK

[JNice]

Magic at Cavs, 7:30


WHERE: Gund Arena, Cleveland.


RECORDS: Magic 25-21, Cavaliers 26-19.


TV: WRBW-Ch. 65. Radio -- 580 AM (WDBO); Spanish-language -- 1030 AM (WONQ).


MAGIC UPDATE: Orlando looks to go 2-0 against LeBron James and the Cavaliers. The Magic beat the Cavs at home last Tuesday 105-102, avoiding overtime when it was ruled that Cavs G Jeff McInnis launched his 3-point shot after the buzzer. . . . It was James' first game back after missing the previous two with a sprained left ankle. He scored 28 points and had seven assists. . . . Former Magic F Drew Gooden, making his first return to TD Waterhouse Centre since being traded last summer for Tony Battie, scored 15 points and grabbed 13 rebounds. . . . G Doug Christie says he is almost over his bout with the flu.


CAVALIERS UPDATE: Cleveland went 0-2 on its recent swing through Florida, also losing to the Miami Heat 100-88. . . . James appears to be back at full strength. He scored 31 against the Heat and grabbed 10 rebounds.


WHAT TO WATCH FOR: It isn't often that the Magic are outrebounded, but the Cavs beat them on the boards last week 43-33. The reason? Rookie F Dwight Howard was saddled with early foul trouble and grabbed just five. Howard averages 9.7 rebounds per game.

[hobojoe]

Almost game time...

This one's going to be very tough to pull out. Cleveland's a very good team, and extremely hard to beat in Cleveland (16-4 at home this season). The Magic are going to have to jump out to a quick lead and keep the Cavs off the offensive boards this game. They killed the Magic on the boards when they played last week (43-33) with Tractor Traylor and Drew Gooden leading the way.

[JNice]

Man, Lebron is just massive for a swingman... and at 20 yrs old. Just nuts. He makes Doug Christie look like a toothpick.

[JNice]

I expect Battie with another good game. He seems to play well against old teams and he might have a little something to prove going against Drew.

[hobojoe]

Horrible defense thus far. The Magic play a terrible zone defense. It'd be a good idea to play a zone D against the Cavs because they don't have any great shooters, but when you leave guys wide open and with all day to shoot it, most guys in the NBA can knock it down. Horrible rotation on the perimeter defensively thus far.

The fastbreak is keeping us in the game though.

[hobojoe]

Weird end to the first quarter. Steve looks away and gets ball taken from under his nose by McInnis but takes the charge on the other end, getting a foul on LeBron. Then the Magic come back on the other end and Francis gets called for an offensive foul and a tech. One of the worst calls I've ever seen, Steve-o had a legitimate argument there.

[hobojoe]

Very active first quarter for Dwight. He was very aggressive, and knocked down 3 of his 5 shots for 7 points. Nice to see him getting some shots up.

[JNice]

Originally posted by hobojoe!
Very active first quarter for Dwight. He was very aggressive, and knocked down 3 of his 5 shots for 7 points. Nice to see him getting some shots up.

Strange first for Dwight. He took 2 mid-range jumpers in the first quarter. I don't think he's done that in an entire game all season. Missed one and nothing but net on the other. If he can start hitting that with some consistency, watch out. He's got good form.

[JNice]

Jameer playing well. 6 pts in the 2nd quarter.

Offense looks pretty good. Shooting over 60%. Hopefully we won't collapse in the 4th like the last game.

Z is in some foul trouble so we need to go right at him in the 2nd half.

[hobojoe]

Magic should be up more right now.

LeBron is way off so far, and the only reason the Cavs are close is because they've got to the line 18 times and made 17 of them (their only miss was rebounded by Ilgauskas and put in for 2).

Jameer was definitely fouled on that last play of the half.

[YoYoYoWasup]

Robert Traylor owns us, which is pretty sad. Box that fat azz out. Anyways, what's with Dwight not playing in the 2nd quarter after a sizzling start? JD = moron.

[magicfan187]

howard played a good first quarter in then davis doesnt stick him back in till 2 minutes to go in the second

[JNice]

We're gonna lose this one. Francis and Hill just aren't scoring enough.