The Orlando Magic walked out of Kia Center on Saturday night with more questions than answers, dropping their third straight game - this time a 119-105 loss to a surging Cleveland Cavaliers squad. And while there were plenty of areas the Magic will want to clean up, head coach Jamahl Mosley didn’t mince words postgame about the man who dictated the night’s outcome: Donovan Mitchell.
If you’ve followed Mitchell’s career, you know he has a knack for flipping the switch when it matters most. Mosley, who’s seen plenty of Mitchell over the years - both in the regular season and postseason - broke down exactly why the All-Star guard remains such a nightmare to defend.
“It’s hard to slow down Donovan Mitchell,” Mosley said. “What helps is giving him different coverages, different looks, different bodies on him, because he’s seen it all.”
That’s the thing with Mitchell. He’s not just a volume scorer - he’s a problem-solver.
He processes defenses like a quarterback, adjusting on the fly and picking his spots. Whether it’s getting downhill to the rim, pulling up in the midrange, or letting it fly from deep, he’s got the full scoring package.
And on Saturday night, he unpacked all of it.
After a relatively quiet first half, Mitchell exploded in the second, pouring in 27 of his 36 points after the break - including a blistering 17-point fourth quarter that effectively shut the door on any Orlando comeback attempt. He shot 15-of-30 from the field and added nine assists and two steals, all while Cleveland was missing key contributors in Darius Garland and De’Andre Hunter.
Mitchell’s performance was the engine behind Cleveland’s fifth win in six games, and it came at a time when the Cavs needed someone to steady the ship. He did more than that - he took over.
But it wasn’t a one-man show. Rookie Jaylon Tyson chipped in 17 points, showing flashes of the scoring versatility that’s made him a valuable rotation piece. Evan Mobley added 13 points and seven boards, continuing to anchor Cleveland’s interior on both ends.
For Orlando, the night was another frustrating chapter in a tough stretch. The Magic struggled to find rhythm from beyond the arc, hitting just 11 of their 40 three-point attempts. Paolo Banchero led the way with 27 points, doing his best to keep the offense afloat, while Jalen Suggs made his return from injury and contributed nine points and six assists.
Still, the Magic couldn’t keep pace when it mattered most. The defensive breakdowns in the fourth quarter - combined with cold shooting - allowed Cleveland to pull away with ease.
Now riding a three-game losing streak, all by double digits, Orlando finds itself in a bit of a skid heading into the All-Star break. The good news?
They won’t have to wait long for a shot at redemption. The Magic and Cavaliers are set to run it back Monday night in Cleveland.
If Orlando wants to flip the script, it starts with finding a way - any way - to make Mitchell uncomfortable. Because as Saturday night showed, when he gets going, there’s not much you can do but watch the scoreboard tilt in his favor.