(Sports Network) - The Cleveland Cavaliers will take their show to the road in
hopes of stringing back-to-back wins together for the first time this season
and are set to face the Orlando Magic Friday night at Amway Center.
The Cavaliers won for just the third time this season and ended a six-game
losing streak with Wednesday's 92-83 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers.
Jeremy Pargo scored a career-high 28 points, while rookie Dion Waiters and
Alonzo Gee added 16 and 14 points, respectively, for the Cavs, who played
their first game without reigning Rookie of the Year Kyrie Irving because of a
fractured index finger on his left hand.
"Pargo played the game of his life tonight," Sixers forward Thad Young said.
"He killed us on screens with the ball, going one-on-one, hitting 3-balls. It
was like he was playing a video game -- NBA2K -- against us out there."
Anderson Varejao tallied 10 points and 19 rebounds, notching his second
straight double-double and sixth on the season. Gee has scored at least 14
points in five of his last six games and is averaging 13.8 ppg in that time.
Cleveland pulled away with 13 straight points in the fourth quarter and halted
a six-game slide to the Sixers.
The Cavs, who have lost five in a row away from home, also will visit Miami
and Memphis on the road trip. Guard Daniel Gibson (elbow) is questionable for
Friday's game and he is only three 3-pointers shy of passing Danny Ferry (543)
for fourth place on the team's all-time list.
Orlando got its five-game homestand off to a good start with Wednesday's 90-74
triumph over Detroit. Lesser-known forward Andrew Nicholson scored a career-
high 15 points off the bench and Arron Afflalo added 12 and seven rebounds as
the Magic halted a two-game slide and recorded their fourth win of the season.
Glen Davis had 11 points and pulled down a game-high 14 rebounds for the
Magic, who used a 21-0 burst to blow the game open and outscored the Pistons
26-8 in the third quarter. The Magic also got 10 points, seven assists and six
rebounds from Jameer Nelson.
"It was just great concentration coming out of halftime," said Magic coach
Jacque Vaughn. "Guys were really focused and it showed."
Vaughn's squad is scheduled to welcome Boston, San Antonio and Brooklyn to the
Magic Kingdom on this homestand.
Orlando won all three meetings with Cleveland last season and is riding a
nine-game winning streak in this series. The Cavs are winless in five straight
and 10 of 12 trips to central Florida.
The Sports Network