The Cleveland Cavaliers will have their final home preseason game on Sunday evening. This is their second of three exhibition contests.
The Cavs did some things well in their first outing this past Thursday. Peyton Watson looked solid in his first outing with his new team, Jaylon Tyson picked up where he left off last season, and Meleek Thomas had a solid debut. Those are all positive signs heading into the season.
There were, however, things that the Cavs hope will change by the start of the season.
Mainly, the defense and rebounding left much to be desired. Cleveland struggled to provide resistance at the point of attack. And when they did force missed shots, they weren’t there to clean up on the glass. That will need to change if they want to be a top-five defense.
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Who: Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Orlando Magic
Where: Rocket Arena – Cleveland, OH
When: Sunday, Oct. 11 at 6:30 PM
TV: DAZN, ESPN
Point spread: Cavs -6.5
Cavs injury report: None submitted
Celtics injury report: None submitted
Cavs expected regular season starting lineup: James Harden, Donovan Mitchell, Peyton Watson, Evan Mobley, Jarrett Allen
Magic expected regular season starting lineup: Jalen Suggs, Desmond Bane, Franz Wagner, Paolo Banchero, Wendell Carter Jr.
Previous matchup: The Cavaliers outscored the Magic 136-131 on March 24. Cleveland won three out of their four meetings last season.
Here’s a look at both teams’ 2025-26 regular-season impact stats via Cleaning the Glass.
