Cavaliers Suffer Worst Postseason Defeat In Franchise History In Loss To Magic

Cleveland fell for the first time this postseason in a 121-83 defeat to Orlando in Game 3 of its First Round series.

On Thursday night, just less than four minutes into the first quarter of Game 3 of their First Round NBA Playoffs series, the Cleveland Cavaliers got off to a hot start.

They jumped out to a 10-3 advantage, which came after the Wine and Gold scored the game’s first six points. Early on in the contest, Cleveland seemed poised for another strong performance and a 3-0 series lead.

However, the Orlando Magic outscored the Cavaliers by 45 points from this point on, as Cleveland fell by a final score of 121-83. This defeat trims the Wine and Gold’s series lead to 2-1.

The Cavaliers’ first loss this postseason was unfortunately record-breaking. 

According to Stathead, Cleveland’s 38-point defeat is its worst postseason loss in franchise history. The team’s worst playoff loss before this most recent one came 16 years and one day prior, on April 24, 2008. This was when the Wine and Gold fell to the Washington Wizards by a final score of 108-72, also in Game 3 of a First Round NBA Playoffs series.

Apr 25, 2024; Orlando, Florida, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Max Strus (1) and Orlando Magic forward Franz Wagner (22) look for the rebound during the second half of game three of the first round for the 2024 NBA Playoffs at Kia Center.

Mike Watters-USA TODAY Sports

The Cavaliers shot just 32-for-82 (39.0%) from the field and 8-for-34 (23.5%) from beyond the arc against the Magic on Thursday night. These were the team’s lowest field-goal and three-point percentages since January 11 and March 6, respectively. 

Also, according to Stathead, Cleveland’s -19 scoring margin in the third quarter (35-16) was tied for its worst scoring margin in any quarter this season. The Wine and Gold were also outscored by 19 points (40-21) in the third quarter of a loss to the Milwaukee Bucks back on December 29, 2023.

The Wine and Gold will look to take a 3-1 series lead when they face Orlando on the road again in Game 4 on Saturday afternoon at 1 p.m.