James Harden scored 24 points as the Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the Orlando Magic 119-105 in a preseason game at Rocket Arena on Sunday, October 11.
Harden shot 7-for-10 from the field, including 3-for-5 from three-point range, and made seven of his nine free throws in 26 minutes. The veteran guard also collected four rebounds, two assists and one steal as Cleveland earned its first preseason victory of 2026-27.
The Cavaliers led throughout the game after opening with a 32-28 advantage in the first quarter. They extended the margin to 61-50 by halftime and maintained control through the third quarter, entering the final period ahead 90-75.
Cleveland’s offense remained productive across all four quarters, with the team shooting 45.3% from the field and 40.5% from beyond the arc. The Cavaliers made 15 of 37 three-point attempts and converted 26 of 30 free throws.
Jaylon Tyson and Mario Hezonja each contributed 13 points off the bench. Tyson shot 4-for-8 from the field and made three of his five attempts from three-point range, while Hezonja finished 5-for-9 overall and 2-for-4 from deep, adding five rebounds, two assists, two steals and two blocks.
Evan Mobley recorded 14 points and seven rebounds, converting eight of nine free throws. Jarrett Allen also grabbed seven rebounds and scored seven points, while Donovan Mitchell added 11 points, six assists and five rebounds in 26 minutes.
Thomas Bryant provided another scoring boost for Cleveland’s second unit, finishing with 12 points on 5-for-6 shooting in just seven minutes. He made both of his three-point attempts and collected four rebounds.
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Orlando struggled to keep pace despite a balanced scoring effort. Tristan da Silva led the Magic with 17 points, shooting 6-for-14 from the field and 4-for-11 from three-point range. Jase Richardson added 12 points and four assists, while Jamal Cain scored 11 points off the bench.
Franz Wagner finished with 10 points, five rebounds and three assists, although he committed four turnovers. Paolo Banchero also scored 10 points and grabbed seven rebounds but endured a difficult shooting night, making just one of his 10 field-goal attempts. He went 7-for-10 at the free-throw line.
The Magic shot 40.7% from the field and 34.2% from three-point range. They also committed 13 turnovers, compared with Cleveland’s 10, and were outrebounded 49-45.
Cleveland’s lead grew to 16 points late in the third quarter after Tyson connected from beyond the arc, helping the Cavaliers establish a 90-75 advantage entering the fourth. Orlando scored 30 points in the final period but could not seriously threaten the hosts, who maintained a double-digit cushion through the closing minutes.
The result leaves both teams with 1-1 records in preseason play.
