The Cleveland Cavaliers made this one more stressful than it should have been. They led the Charlotte Hornets 56-32 at halftime, before Charlotte cut the lead to 4 points in the fourth quarter.
Cleveland eventually closed the door and secured their 25th win of the season. But, as I said, it felt less satisfying than you’d have liked.
The Hornets have been better than their record recently. They entered the night with the league’s second-best offense over the last two weeks, while Cleveland had the 24th-best
defense during this same stretch. That felt like a combination that could have burned the Cavs tonight. But they began the game with the appropriate energy on defense, holding the Hornets to just 12 points in the second quarter.
That focus wouldnt’ last all 48 minutes. The Cavs slipped in the second half and allowed the Hornets to go on a big run. But they found their footing and got enough stops in the end to stave off a disastrous collapse.
Evan Mobley started the game hot. He had 13 points and 11 rebounds at halftime after a handful of jaw-dropping dunks. As is the theme, this aggression didn’t carry over to the final two quarters. Mobley finished with just 14 points in an otherwise solid performance.
Charlotte was led by Brandon Miller with 24 points. Lamelo Ball had a rough night, shooting 0-10 from deep and 1-15 from the floor overall.
Donovan Mitchell had 24 points on 8-20 shooting. It wasn’t a great night for Mitchell, as his 8 turnovers added fuel to Charlotte’s fire. It’s clear the Cavs are still missing Darius Garland’s efficient command of the offense.
The Cavs are back at home this weekend with a game versus the Sacramento Kings before going on the road for a matchup against the Orlando Magic.
