The Charlotte Hornets picked up a surprising victory Monday night, responding from a 39-point loss against the Boston Celtics to defeat the Cleveland Cavaliers 124-112. Although Cleveland mounted a fourth-quarter comeback, Charlotte had dominated for the majority of the game, at one point stretching the lead to 33.
It was Grayson Allen who continued his hot start in a new uniform, scoring 20 of his 27 points in the first half. Naz Reid also supplied the goods, tallying 25 points, 13 rebounds, four assists and two steals. For the Cavaliers, their All-Stars didn't quite live up to expectations, as the trio of James Harden, Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley combined to score just 31 points. Prior to Charlotte's West Coast road trip that begins Thursday
against the Phoenix Suns, here are three things to take away from Monday's game.
3. Good things happen when you take care of the ball
While 17 turnovers is still plenty, the Hornets showed solid composure without three of their starters. Unfortunately, things unraveled a bit in the final two frames, as Charlotte gave the ball away 12 times in the second half as opposed to only five in the first 24 minutes. However, Charlotte did a good job of pulling away in the first two frames, taking a 16-point lead into halftime.
2. Tidjane Salaun and Ryan Kalkbrenner turned heads
Ryan Kalkbrenner was phenomenal for Charlotte Monday night, doing his best Moussa Diabate impersonation, grabbing 10 offensive rebounds. He tallied 15 boards altogether in addition to eight points, three assists, three blocks and one steal. Tidjane Salaun had an unbelievable second quarter off the bench, scoring 14 points in seven minutes while contributing on the defensive end. His night ended with 14 points, three rebounds and one steal on 3-for-4 shooting from beyond the arc.
1. Finishing games has been an issue
The Hornets led by 33 at one point during the third quarter but saw that lead evaporate to within eight points in the fourth. This isn't the first time we've seen this from Charlotte either, as the Miami Heat came storming back from a 23-point deficit in the fourth quarter earlier this year. While the Hornets held on to win on both occasions, Charles Lee's team needs to finish stronger. In 11 games to begin the season, Charlotte has a point differential of -75 after Cleveland's reserves outscored them by 15 in the final frame Monday night.
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This article originally appeared on Rookie Wire: 3 things from Charlotte's 124-112 win over Cleveland
