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ORLANDO, Fla. -- At this point in the season, the Cleveland Cavaliers are hoping to make one last run at the playoffs and the Orlando Magic are looking for luck in the NBA draft lottery. Both improved their chances of reaching those goals Wednesday night as the Cavaliers beat the Magic 119-98 behind 26 points from Dion Waiters and 20 each from Spencer Hawes and Tristan Thompson. The easy win moved the Cavaliers within two games of New York and Atlanta for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. The Cavs play at Atlanta Friday night. "This was a big game for us, but every game is big because of the position weve put ourselves in," Cleveland coach Mike Brown said. "There is nothing tricky that we have to do. We just have to out and play hard and give ourselves a chance." Waiters shot 10 for 15 from the field, including 3 for 3 on 3-pointers. "Weve still got a chance, we just need to take full advantage of it," he said. "We came in knowing we should get a win, but every game is hard. We have no choice at this point. We control our own destiny. Everybody knows what is at stake. We just have to stay focused." It helped the Cavaliers that All-Star point guard Kyrie Irving returned with a thump in his step after missing the last eight games with a torn bicep muscle. Irving had 17 points, eight assists and six rebounds in a seemless transition from the bench to the court. "Kyrie came in and got right in step with us," Brown said. "He helped us get the ball up the floor quickly and get into our attack. He gave us another weapon with a very high skill level." The Magic had little to be satisfied with other than solidifying their lottery spot with the third-worst record in the NBA. The Magic gave up 70 points in the first half, the best half all season for Cleveland and the most points Orlando has allowed in a half this year. "There is going to be a game in the course of the year where you just dont have it and when its coupled with a team like the Cavs who had it ... it just wasnt a good mix," Magic coach Jacque Vaughn said. "Some days, its just not your day." The Magic placed only one starter, Maurice Harkless, in double figures and he had 10 points. Rookie Victor Oladipo led Orlando with 16 points, Doron Lamb had 14, Tobias Harris 11 and ETwaun Moore 10, all off the bench. "Terrible, terrible game," Harris said. "Its not how we wanted to play and that shows us that there is no effort." Every Cleveland player in uniform scored as the Cavs shot 60.5 per cent in the first half and 57.7 per cent for the game in rolling over a defenceless Magic team that lost its second straight. Cleveland was 9 for 18 from beyond the 3-point line, most of them wide-open looks as Orlando struggled with defensive rotations the entire game. Cleveland had four of the five starters already in double figures by halftime. Hawes was 6 for 8 in the first two periods, including 4 for 5 on 3-pointers on his way to 18 points. Thompson had 14, Irving 13 and Waiters 10 as the Cavaliers starters combined to hit 24 of 33 shots (72.7 per cent) in the first two quarters. Deng was the only starter not in double figures, but still shot 4 for 5. The Magic, by contrast, didnt have a player score more than six points in the first half. Orlando had 11 turnovers that Cleveland turned into 16 points. The Magic trailed 49-42 after Oladipos 3-pointer with 6:11 left in the second quarter, but got only one field goal the rest of the half and were outscored 21-6 as Cleveland rolled to a 70-47 halftime lead. The closest Orlando got in the second half was 17 when Arron Afflalos 3 with 4:11 left in the third quarter made it 82-65. Afflalo, the Magics leading scorer this season, finished with seven points. Cleveland responded with a 10-0 run that started with a floater in the lane by Jack and ended with two free throws by Thompson to make it 92-65. Cleveland led by as many 28 points and cruised through the fourth quarter with little effort. NOTES: Cavs C Anderson Varajeo sat out the game with a sore shoulder. ... Magic C Nikola Vucevic, who had three straight games scoring 20-plus points for the first time all season coming into the game, scored only seven. ... Cleveland has beaten Orlando seven straight times. ... The Magic are 1-18 this season when teams shoot over 50 per cent. Cleveland shot 57.7 per cent in the game. Zapatillas Salomon Baratas . JOHNS, N. Zapatillas Salomon Baratas España . Philbin said Thursday he wants players to treat one another with civility and he wont tolerate anything less. In taking questions for the first time since Ted Wells released his report into the bullying scandal that rocked the league, Philbin made it clear things would be cleaned up. http://www.baratassalomon.es/. -- During Kansas shootaround on Wednesday before the Jayhawks faced Oklahoma, coach Bill Self told Wayne Selden Jr. Comprar Salomon Baratas . Acclaimed by world football leaders but held in contempt by many football fans. Blatter should arrive at the Itaquerao stadium in Sao Paulo to watch host Brazil play Croatia confident that this tournament -- his fifth as president -- wont be his last leading the worlds favourite sport. Zapatillas Salomon España . Dwyane Wade took over in the fourth quarter.WASHINGTON -- Mathematicians will say the Washington Nationals cant clinch the NL East until next week. Practicality says they essentially wrapped it up Tuesday night when they sent nine hitters to the plate against Ervin Santana in the first inning of another win over the Atlanta Braves. The Nationals beat their division nemesis for the second time in two nights, winning 6-4 to push their lead to nine games with 19 to play. Atlanta had been a thorn in Washingtons plans for about a year and a half, but the Nationals have put the kibosh on that trend by winning five of the last seven meetings. "It feels like were just that much closer," first baseman Adam LaRoche said. "Not to take anything for granted until this thing is sewn up, but these are big. This time of year, playing the team chasing you, to be able to win a couple." LaRoche kept up his torrid stretch with two hits and two RBIs, and Jordan Zimmermann (11-5) allowed four runs (two earned) with seven strikeouts and no walks in six innings. Zimmermann hasnt lost a decision since July 11 and is 5-0 -- and the Nationals are 8-0 -- in his last eight starts. LaRoche is 9-for-19 with four home runs and 12 RBIs in his last six games, a run that started when he overcame back and elbow injuries and a stomach virus to punch in five RBIs as a late sub against the Los Angeles Dodgers. He singled in a run off Santana (14-8) in the Nationals four-run first inning and added another RBI single in the second. Both were hitting works of art: He held back just enough to get the end of the bat on a high changeup and poke a soft line drive up the middle, and lifted a low two-strike changeup into a line-drive hit to right. Yet LaRoche says he isnt really in his best groove. "You know, it feels good; it doesnt feel great," he said. "I dont know how to explain that, other than just from experience. I know when it feels really good, but again, it feels good. I feel like Im slowing things down, going a little deeper in counts and getting some pitches to hit." Santana settled down somewhatt after his long first inning and stuck around through five.dddddddddddd He gave up five runs, eight hits and four walks to fall to 7-2 since the All-Star break for the Braves, who remain in a crowded race for a wild card berth. "You cant fully give up. We still have a chance," Atlanta first baseman Freddie Freeman said. "Once were fully eliminated from the division race, then well worry about the wild card." DREW LOOKS LIKE THE GUY After struggling reliever Rafael Soriano lost the closers job on Friday, Washington manager Matt Williams initially indicated he would go to a closer-by-committee. Sure doesnt look that way. Drew Storen pitched the ninth for his third save in three days. Williams wouldnt declare outright that Storen is the new closer, and he has an excuse to stay mum for at least one more day: Even if Storen has the job, he almost certainly wouldnt pitch in four straight games. GONZALEZ ON KERSHAW Gonzalez offered a random thought on Clayton Kershaw, wondering if the Dodgers lefty has become too dominant for the usual set of stats: "I think you start counting how many hard foul balls he gives up instead of counting ERA. Six hard hit balls in foul territory." TRAINERS ROOM Braves: C Evan Gattis (strep throat) remained at the teams hotel for the second day in a row. Gonzalez said Gattis could return Friday for the opener of a three-game series in Texas. ... 2B Tommy La Stella was scratched from the starting lineup with a migraine, but he appeared as a pinch-hitter in the seventh inning. Nationals: SS Ian Desmonds back tightened up before the game, and he left after five innings. He said he has had a similar problem two or three times this year, but he should be able to play Wednesday. ... 3B Ryan Zimmerman took on-field batting practice for the first time since injuring his right hamstring on July 22. UP NEXT Atlantas Aaron Harang (10-10, 3.87 ERA) faces Washingtons Stephen Strasburg (11-10, 3.43) on Wednesday as the Nationals go for the sweep in the three-game series. ' ' '