The Cleveland Cavaliers are starting to look like a team that’s found its rhythm-and Donovan Mitchell is the one setting the tempo.
Cleveland rolled to a 114-98 win over the Orlando Magic on Sunday night, powered by a 45-point explosion from Mitchell. This marks the Cavs’ fourth straight win, and their second in a row over the Magic, who’ve been one of the East’s more surprising teams this season. But on this night, they had no answer for Mitchell.
The game didn’t start in Cleveland’s favor. Orlando jumped out to a 10-point lead early, capitalizing on some shaky ball-handling from the Cavs.
Cleveland coughed it up six times in the first 10 minutes-an all-too-familiar issue for a team that’s struggled with turnovers throughout January. Without Darius Garland’s steady hand at point guard, the offense can get a little chaotic.
And early on, it showed.
But then Mitchell took over.
He dropped 26 points in the first half alone, completely flipping the game’s momentum. It wasn’t just the scoring-it was the energy.
Mitchell’s shot-making ignited the home crowd and settled the Cavs into a groove. Cleveland outscored Orlando 39-24 in the second quarter to take a five-point lead into halftime, and they never looked back.
Once the Cavs cleaned up the turnover issues, everything else started falling into place. They finished with just eight more giveaways the rest of the way, bringing their total to a manageable number. They also dominated the glass and shot over 40% from beyond the arc-two key ingredients in the formula for a win.
Jaylon Tyson continues to be one of the most intriguing young players on this roster. Earlier in the day, he was named to the 2026 NBA Rising Stars game, and he backed it up with a strong showing: 14 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists on 5-of-9 shooting. He’s the first Cavalier on a standard contract to make the Rising Stars roster since Evan Mobley, and he’s proving he belongs.
Speaking of Mobley, he was quietly excellent once again. His 20 points came on efficient looks, and he added 9 rebounds and 2 blocks. Mobley’s been stringing together strong performances lately, and his two-way presence is starting to shine through in a big way.
But this night belonged to Mitchell. He’s been on a tear recently, and this 45-point outing was another reminder of what he can do when he gets cooking. Whether it’s attacking off the dribble, pulling up from deep, or getting to the line, Mitchell has been relentless-and right now, he’s carrying Cleveland up the Eastern Conference standings.
The Cavs have now won 11 of their last 15 and are gaining serious traction. They’ll host the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday in what promises to be a high-profile matchup. If Mitchell keeps playing like this, Cleveland’s going to be a problem for anyone.