CLEVELAND – The Orlando Magic take on the Cleveland Cavaliers in a rematch of last year’s first-round Eastern Conference playoff game Friday night. Tipoff is set for 7:00 PM ET in Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse. The game will be televised on ESPN, marking the first national TV game for the Magic this year.

Orlando dropped the first contest of a five-game road trip Wednesday night when it blew a 20-point lead to the Chicago Bulls and fell 102-99 inside the United Center.

Cleveland enters the contest coming off a 24-point win over the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday night and is undefeated on the year so far.

Here’s the latest on the status and health of the players heading into the contest:

10:30 PM ET Thursday Update: Paolo Banchero has been diagnosed with a torn right oblique, the team announced Thursday evening. After initially appearing on the injury report with a right oblique strain, subsequent tests in Cleveland revealed the injury to be more serious.

Banchero will be out for an indefinite period and his return to the game will depend on how he responds to treatment, the team said. He will be reevaluated in four to six weeks. The injury occurred during the fourth quarter of the Magic’s Oct. 30 game in Chicago.

For more on Banchero’s injury, click here.

Banchero suffered a right abdominal strain during the Magic’s Wednesday night game against the Bulls, an outing in which he scored 31 points and had seven rebounds and four assists. Through five games of the 2024-25 season, the third-year pro is Orlando’s leading scorer at 29.0 points per game.

ESPN’s Shams Charania first reported the news Thursday afternoon, none of which Banchero will be reevaluating. A source later confirmed the Orlando Magic’s report on SI.

After the game, Banchero entered the Magic’s postgame media area after receiving treatment. He had a wrap on the right side of his core, under his shirt, as well as on both knees.

Wagner left Wednesday night’s contest abruptly feeling “a little under the weather,” Magic coach Jamahl Mosley said. After exiting with 10:35 left in the fourth quarter, he immediately returned to the Orlando locker room. He did not return to the game, making it the second consecutive game he has missed due to illness.

He is averaging 17.8 points per game this year, making him the second leading scorer on the Magic behind Banchero.

Bitadze missed his second straight game Wednesday night with a left hamstring strain that appeared on the Magic’s injury report the morning of Monday’s matchup between Orlando and the Pacers.

Strus has yet to play this regular season after suffering a sprained right ankle. The Cavaliers said in mid-October that he would be out at least six weeks with the injury.

Porter Jr. has sat out the past two games with a sprained thumb and is likely headed for a third straight absence Friday night.

This story will be updated as information becomes available.

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