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3 Winners, 1 Loser in Magic Preseason Loss vs. Cavaliers

The Orlando Magic fell short against the Cleveland Cavaliers, but there were still some bright spots in the exhibition contest.
3 Winners, 1 Loser in Magic Preseason Loss vs. Cavaliers

The Orlando Magic are in the loss column for the first time in the preseason after falling to the Cleveland Cavaliers 119-105 inside Rocket Arena.

The Magic still were not at full strength, but they managed to give a majority of their rotation a decent amount of playing time against one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference. Here's a look at the winners and losers from the contest.

In scoring, he drew the start in place of Desmond Bane, who sat out the contest due to rest. Once again, da Silva showed how aggressive he was from beyond the 3-point line, making 4 of his 11 attempts from distance. The Magic have been needing a player off the bench to fill this role, and if da Silva is able to shoot like this during the regular season, the Magic bench will be much improved.

Penda did not play in the preseason opener against the Memphis Grizzlies, but he made an appearance against the Cavs, scoring eight points while grabbing five rebounds and five assists in 22 minutes of action. This was a strong showing from the second-year pro out of France. His ability to play on both ends of the floor will be needed in order for him to see the floor more often this season.

Continuing with the bench performances was Jamal Cain, who dropped 11 points off the bench in 19 minutes of action. Cain is the epitome of hard work in the NBA, having gone undrafted and bounced around the league on several two-way deals. Now that he's entering his fifth season, he is finding himself with an established role in Orlando, and it appears that he is taking advantage of the opportunity.

Banchero struggled to find his shot for the second straight game, making just 1 of 10 shots from the floor. He was able to get to the free-throw line five separate times and made 7 of 10 from the charity stripe.

Banchero's shooting struggles have come and gone throughout his career, so this is far from the time to panic about a 10 percent shooting night from the floor. He will have a chance to work through these kinks between now and the start of the regular season.

The Magic are back in action against the Cavs tomorrow at home. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 pm ET inside the Kia Center.

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It was published on October 12, 2026 and last updated on October 13, 2026. The time of the story is shown in your own time zone on the page.

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