Cavaliers continue hex on Magic

Associated Press

CLEVELAND

LeBron James scored 23 points, Kyrie Irving added 20 and the Cleveland Cavaliers beat the Orlando Magic for the 15th straight time, 105-99 on Saturday night.

Kevin Love scored 19 points to help the NBA champion Cavaliers improve to 3-0. They haven’t lost to the Magic since Nov. 23, 2012 in Orlando.

Evan Fournier scored 22 points for Orlando. The Magic cut a 22-point deficit to three at 88-85 with 4 minutes to play, but J.R. Smith hit three 3-pointers and scored 11 in the fourth quarter.

Smith made 3-pointers on back-to-back possessions and Cleveland forced a shot-clock violation. James followed with a pair of baskets, including a left-handed finish at the rim.

Serge Ibaka converted a three-point play and hit a free throw, cutting the lead to 98-95 with 45 seconds left, but Smith’s 3-pointer from the corner pushed the lead to six.

Ibaka scored 19 points for Orlando. The Magic are 0-3.

James put together a personal highlight reel in the first half when Cleveland built a 54-32 lead. He converted a four-point play in the second quarter, hitting a three-pointer while being fouled in front of Cleveland’s bench with the shot clock winding down, before making the free throw.

James drove past Fournier and dunked over Nikola Vucevic despite getting hit in the face in the first quarter. He also motored down the late for a dunk at the first-half buzzer.

Magic: G Jodie Meeks (fractured right foot) has not played in a preseason or regular-season game. He was acquired in a June 29 trade with Detroit.

Cavaliers: Rookie G Kay Felder made his NBA debut in the first and scored his first points on a drive to the basket.