Monday night at Rocket Arena, the Cleveland Cavaliers will host the Orlando Magic in part two of a mini-series that began with a 119-105 wine-and-gold victory in Florida this past weekend. It was one of the team's most impressive wins of the season, particularly because it was on the second night of a home-road back-to-back

The Eastern Conference is all over the place right now, as the Boston Celtics cling to the second seed with a ton of teams chasing them down. The Toronto Raptors are only a half-game back, while the New York Knicks (1 GB), Cavs (2 GB), Philadelphia 76ers (3.5 GB), and Miami Heat (4 GB) are all within striking distance.

Even the teams slotted in the play-in and below it are still in the hunt because the parity in the East is keeping the standings tight.

Cleveland is one of the hotter squads in the conference, too, having won five of its last six games. There's another half of the season remaining, with the 2026 NBA trade deadline and All-Star break drawing closer.

In the latest episode of Courtside with Cavs, Spencer German and I looked at the Cavs' matchup with Orlando and how bunched up the East is:

"The Orlando Magic, they had started to discover their identity again, but then, they're doing the same thing the Cavs are. Once they start to turn a corner, something goes awry. Very similar spots that these teams are in. And by the way, the Eastern Conference, it's all over the place. The NBA, in general, is all over the place.

We're getting into February, just before that All-Star break, trade deadline time. A lot can change. I love seeing the Magic because it just hearkens back to that playoff series. A lot of both teams are very similar. Paolo [Banchero]'s still trying to find it. You know that he is still a handful. Wendell Carter Jr. hasn't gotten enough love. Anthony Black is having a tremendous season."

After Monday's rematch with Orlando, the Cavs will host LeBron James, Luka Doncic, and the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday. Following a short homestand downtown, Cleveland has a five-game road trip out west on the docket.

Watch the full episode of Courtside with Cavs, and remember to subscribe to our CavsRoundtable YouTube channel for more coverage of the Cavaliers through the 2025-26 NBA season.

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