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Cleveland Cavaliers beat Orlando Magic 119-98

Kyrie Irving returned from an eight-game absence and scored 17 points to go with eight assists and six rebounds to lead the Cleveland Cavaliers to a 119-98 drubbing of the Orlando Magic on Wednesday.

Kyrie Irving returned from an eight-game absence and scored 17 points to go with eight assists and six rebounds to lead the Cleveland Cavaliers to a 119-98 drubbing of the Orlando Magic on Wednesday.

Irving suffered a biceps injury in Cleveland's loss to the Los Angeles Clippers on March 16.

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Dion Waiters poured in a game-high 26 points while Spencer Hawes and Tristan Thompson donated 20 points apiece for the Cavaliers, who moved within two games of the Atlanta Hawks for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.

The Hawks are currently battling the Chicago Bulls.

Victor Oladipo scored 16 points, Doron Lamb added 14 and Tobias Harris finished with 11 for the Magic, who have dropped two straight.

Cleveland jumped out to a 35-27 lead after 12 minutes. Orlando led 11-8 after a Kyle O'Quinn layup just under four minutes into the game. Waiters then buried a jumper that sparked a 21-7 run to put the Cavs up 29-18. Cleveland was 7-of-10 from the field over that stretch.

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The Magic pulled within seven, 49-42, following an Oladipo 3-pointer, but the Cavs closed the half on a 21-5 burst to take a 70-47 lead into the break. Cleveland was 7-of-11 from the field on the quarter-closing surge.

The Cavs lead swelled to 27 in the third, and Cleveland never saw its lead dip below 17 the rest of the way.

[SportsNetwork.com]

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