The Cleveland Cavaliers, in desperate need of a get-right game, put together one of their worst performances in recent (regular season) memory by getting blown out by the Charlotte Hornets 124-112 on Monday night. The Cavs fall a game under .500 before heading to New York on Wednesday to play the defending champion Knicks on national television.
Instead of using tonight’s game as a momentum builder, the Cavs were laughed out of the arena by the woeful Hornets. Cleveland trailed by as many as 33 points
against the NBA’s worst offense in Charlotte, a team that was already missing several key players. Grayson Allen (27 points on 8/14 shooting) and Naz Reid (25 points, 13 rebounds) thoroughly outplayed Cleveland’s starters, resulting in a 16-point deficit at the half. That ballooned to 27 points at the end of the third quarter, leading to none of the Cavs’ starters returning to the game after that.
Jarrett Allen returned to the starting lineup, finishing with 12 points and seven rebounds in 19 minutes. Donovan Mitchell and James Harden had 11 points each and combined to shoot 7-20 from the floor. Harden in particular was disastrous, and had some of the worst defensive possessions you will ever see from an NBA player. Evan Mobley had an exceptionally ineffective game, too, with nine points and four turnovers. Harden and Mobley had a combined +/- of -46 tonight, which passes the eye test.
Not only did Charlotte’s starters outplay the Cavs, but Cleveland’s backups did too. Craig Porter Jr., Thomas Bryant, Thomas, and Norchad Omier brought the Cavs within eight points late in the fourth quarter before running out of steam. But the reserves showed a lot of heart, and considerably more effort and energy than Cleveland’s starters.
The Cavs were out rebounded 49-32 overall, but didn’t get their first offensive rebound until the third quarter, losing that battle 17-3. Cleveland actually ended up with fewer turnovers and shot better from the floor than Charlotte, but the final score didn’t reflect that.
This is the type of loss that reverberates through an organization, especially one that is expensive and on a fixed timeline like the Cavs. There is a heightened sense of urgency to right the ship, but Cleveland remains exceptionally inconsistent and underwhelming. Despite quality wins against Minnesota and Philadelphia, the Cavs feel like a team teetering on the edge of the abyss. Losses like tonight’s are what push things over.
