Donovan Mitchell gets best of Magic again, and more takeaways

Donovan Mitchell got the best of Paolo Banchero and the Orlando Magic for the second-straight game.

Jan 26, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) reacts after scoring in the third quarter against the Orlando Magic at Rocket Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-Imagn Images | David Richard-Imagn Images

For the second-straight game, the Cleveland Cavaliers rolled past the Orlando Magic, this time 114-98. The loss dropped the Magic to 23-22, marking their first four-game losing streak since late October. What were a few of our takeaways? Let's examine!

Donovan Mitchell picked up right where he left off:

Jan 26, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) stands on the court in the first quarter against the Orlando Magic at Rocket Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-Imagn Images | David Richard-Imagn Images

Donovan Mitchell tallied 36 points, including 27 in the second half, in the Cavaliers' 14-point win against Orlando over the weekend. Well, the six-time All-Star picked up right where he left off.

Mitchell didn't miss a beat, scoring 26 points on 9-of-11 shooting in the first half. He scored eight quick points in the first two minutes of the third quarter, exploiting any crack in Orlando's defense. He eventually began leveraging his scoring into playmaking, taking advantage of multiple sets of Magic eyeballs directed his way.

He cooled off over the final 1.5 quarters. Evidently, it didn't matter. Mitchell finished with 45 points on 15-of-25 shooting, single-handedly destroyed the Magic, again.

Finishing at rim remains a problem for Magic:

Jan 26, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero (5) looks to the basket beside Cleveland Cavaliers forward Nae'Qwan Tomlin (35) in the first quarter at Rocket Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-Imagn Images | David Richard-Imagn Images

Believe it or not, contrary to the final score, this was a very winnable game for Orlando. Paolo Banchero (37 points) and Desmond Bane (19 points) kept it within reach -- until it wasn't.

Though where Orlando really shot itself in the foot was around the rim. While it has been one of the NBA's worst 3-point shooting teams this season, it entered with the fifth-worst field goal percentage within five feet, according to NBA.com's shot tracking data.

In their 16-point loss, the Magic shot just 42.2 percent (19-45) in the paint, including a dismal 48.4 percent (15-31) inside the restricted area. The Cavaliers' double-big lineup posed problems, but Orlando also missed plenty of reasonable looks within ~5-6 feet all night.

Pair that with an 11-of-39 shooting effort from beyond the arc, the Magic's fifth sub-100-point game makes more sense.

We will not bury this Paolo Banchero performance

Jan 26, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero (5) rebounds in the first quarter against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Rocket Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-Imagn Images | David Richard-Imagn Images

You'd be hard-pressed to find many stars around the league subject to as much criticism as Paolo Banchero. A lot of it's been warranted, too; he hasn't been good (relative to expectation) nor efficient.

All that said, he was far and away the Magic's best player. He finished with a season-high 37 points on 13-of-21 shooting, adding 10 rebounds and four assists. It's been a tough year for him. But he was the absolute last player at fault, consistently getting to his spots, playing through contact, making the right reads, etc.