The Cavs(44-27) concluded their four-game road trip in Charlotte against the Hornets on Tuesday. Cleveland defeated the Hornets 114-108 on Sunday night and hoped to sweep the two-game set.
Cleveland was without their leading scorer Donovan Mitchell(Finger Sprain – Injury Management) and Jarrett Allen(Eye), but that didn’t matter as they had three players score 20-plus points in a 120-104 rout of the Hornets.
The Cavs went 3-1 on their road trip and have won two straight and five of their last six. Even more, they matched their win total from last season(44-38).
Here’s the Great, Not So Great, and the Bottom Line of the Cavs’ win over Charlotte.
The Great:
Evan Mobley, who started his straight game at center for the injured Allen, had a team-high 26 points(10/15 FG) and six rebounds.
Cedi Osman was huge off the Cavs’ bench. He scored 12 of his 24 points in the second quarter, and Osman made six threes. Early In the second quarter, with the Cavs leading 32-31, Osman scored eight of the team’s next 10 points to give the team an 11-point.
Caris LeVert got the start for Mitchell, and he did the job. LeVert had 22 points(four threes), four rebounds, seven assists, and four steals.
Darius Garland scored 12 of 19 points in the first quarter and added seven assists. He got the Cavs off to the start they needed.
Second and Third Quarters: Cleveland led 30-27 after the first quarter but blew things open in the second and third quarters. The Cavs outscored the Hornets 68-49 in those quarters. Cleveland shot 50% in the second and 67% in the third. The Cavs led 98-76 at the end of three and had their largest lead of 26 points in the fourth.
Turnovers: The Cavs forced 22 turnovers, which led to 35 points. Cleveland forced 15 turnovers in the first half, which led to 25 points, and that’s the most they had in any half since 2008.
That’s a lot of turnovers and a lot of points.
Not So Great:
It’s all good, and it’s all great for the Cavs.
Bottom Line:
The Cavs did what they were supposed to do in these two games against the Hornets. It’s also impressive that they reached their win total from last season(44) with 11 games left, which was expected.
If Cleveland can win six of their final 11, they will win 50 games for the first time since the 2017-18 season, which would be a great accomplishment.
At this point, the focus is on seeding in the East. As stated numerous times, Cleveland is locked into the four seed. They are three games ahead of the fifth-seeded Knicks and three games behind the third-seeded 76ers, so again, barring anything crazy, Cleveland will have homecourt advantage in the first round of the playoffs as the fourth seed in the East.
What’s Next:
Cleveland returns home to battle the 76ers on Wednesday night.
Best of the Rest:
Kelly Oubre Jr. had a game-high 28 points for the Hornets, and Terry Rozier added 22 points and nine assists.
-Cavs head coach J.B. Bickerstaff recorded his 200th win on Tuesday night.
The Cleveland Cavaliers(43-27) continued their four-game road trip in Charlotte against the Hornets(22-48) on Sunday. Cleveland, without center Jarrett Allen(eye), was looking to return to their winning ways after falling to the Heat on Friday night.
Cleveland did not get the start they wanted, but they got the finish they needed as they overcame a 16-point third-quarter deficit to defeat the Hornets 114-108 at Spectrum Center,.
Here’s the Great, Not So Great, and the Bottom Line of the Cavs’ win over the Hornets.
The Great:
After missing Friday’s loss against the Heat due to a quad injury, Darius Garland returned on Sunday and was big-time. He had a game-high 28 points, along with six rebounds and six assists.
Donovan Mitchell scored 10 of his 23 points in the fourth. With the Cavs clinging to a 109-108 lead late in the fourth, Mitchell made a huge floater to stretch the lead to three—great work from one of the Cavs’ closers.
Evan Mobley, who started at the center for the injured Allen, had 10 of his 18 points in the fourth quarter to go along with nine rebounds, and midway through the fourth, the second-year forward gave the Cavs their first lead at 100-99 since the first quarter with a dunk, which gave Cleveland the lead for good.
Fourth Quarter: Cleveland trailed 89-81 after three quarters but finally got it going in the fourth. In the final stanza, they outscored the Hornets 33-19 and shot 61% from the floor. In addition, they forced five turnovers, which led to 10 points. Mitchell and Mobley scored 20 of the team’s 33 fourth-quarter points.
Mobley and Caris LeVert were a team-best +14 in the fourth.
Forcing Turnovers: The Cavs forced 19 turnovers, which led to 29 points.
Not So Great:
Three-Points Shooting: Cleveland was 7/27 from deep, and Garland had the biggest issue as he was 2/10 from three-point range.
First Quarter and Most of the Third Quarter: The Hornets led 35-25 after the first quarter and dominated most of the third quarter. In that third quarter, the Hornets had their largest lead of the game at 89-73. Fortunately for Cleveland, they found a way.
Bottom Line:
The Bottom Line is the Cavs got the win, and in the end, that’s all that matters. Clearly, this was not their best performance, and clearly, this was a game they could have and maybe should have lost, but again, they closed the game the right way on the road.
What’s Next:
Cleveland finishes their four-game road trip against the Hornets again on Tuesday night.
Best of the Rest:
-LeVert had 15 points, and Ricky Rubio added 11 points off the bench. Cleveland had five players in double figures.
-The Hornets starting five all scored in double figures. Terry Rozier led the way with 27 points; P.J. Washington had 19 points, and Nick Richards added 15 points, 12 rebounds, and three blocks.
-According to Cavs Notes, this was the Cavs’ 14th win of the season when trailing by double-digits.
The Cleveland Cavaliers(9-6) got back at it on Friday night, hoping to snap a five-game losing streak as they battled the Charlotte Hornets(4-13).
Cleveland had four players score 20-plus points as they defeated Charlotte 132-122 in double overtime at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.
Here’s the Great, Not So Great, and the Bottom Line of the Cavs’ win over the Hornets.
Great:
Darius Garland made big shots in both overtimes for the Cavs. In a career-high 48 minutes, Garland(16/28 FG) had a game-high 41 points, six assists, and a career-high five steals. In the first overtime, with the Cavs trailing 117-114 with under a minute to go, Garland hit a three to tie the game, and when the Hornets took a 120-117 with 22.5 seconds to go, Garland would make another three with 13.5 seconds to send the game into double overtime. He had 13 of the team’s 27 points in the two overtime periods.
Donovan Mitchell had 34 points and six assists. The Cavs backcourt combined for 75 points; Mitchell and Garland also combined for 20 of the team’s 27 points in the overtime periods.
Evan Mobley was sensational on Friday night. He had 21 points, a career-high 18 rebounds, five assists, two blocks, and a steal. According to the Cavs, Mobley became the ninth player in team history to have 20-plus points, 15-plus rebounds, five-plus assists, two-plus blocks, and one-plus steal in a game. In fact, Mobley and Jarrett Allen(20 points, 12 rebounds, four blocks) combined for 41 points, 30 rebounds, and six blocks.
Second OT: The Cavs blew the lead at the end of the fourth and almost lost it in the first overtime, but they took control in the second OT. After Kelly Oubre Jr. made a running hook to give the Hornets a 122-120 lead with 4:38 to go, the Cavs closed the show on a 12-0 run. Charlotte did not score the rest of the way and shot 1/10 from the field in that period.
Not So Great
The Final 52.4 seconds in Regulation: After two Mitchell free throws made the score 103-93, things got a little haywire for the Cavs. Charlotte closed the game on a 12-2 run to send it to OT after a Terry Rozier three with 01.1 seconds to go. During that stretch, the Cavs turned the ball over two times.
Turnovers: Cleveland had a season-high 20 turnovers on Friday night, leading to 35 points for the Hornets, which almost cost them in this game. Fortunately, Garland and Mitchell bailed them out in OT.
Bottom Line:
This would have been a terrible loss for the Cavs. The Hornets were without LaMelo Ball, and Cleveland had what seemed like an insurmountable lead late in the game. Hopefully, they will learn from this and figure it out going forward.
What’s Next:
Cavs will battle the Heat on Sunday night at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.
Best of the Rest:
Oubre Jr. led the Hornets with 34 points; Rozier and P.j. Washington added 28 points apiece. Washington also added 10 rebounds.
With the win, Cleveland moves to 4-0 in overtime games this season.
The Cleveland Cavaliers returned to action Friday night as they traveled to Charlotte to battle the Hornets.
Cleveland, who was coming off a disappointing loss to the Rockets Wednesday night, led by as many as 17 points in the fourth, but Charlotte would storm back and take a 101-98 lead after a Kelly Oubre Jr. three with 46.2 seconds left. However, Jarrett Allen would have a tip-in, and with 01.2 seconds left, Kevin Love would get fouled by Terry Rozier. Ultimately, Love would make two free throws, and the Cavs would defeat the Hornets 102-101 at Spectrum Center.
The Cavs(32-21) are 1.5 games behind the Bulls for the best record in the Eastern Conference, while the Hornets(28-25) have lost three straight.
Here’s the Great, Not So Great, and the Bottom Line of the Cavs’ win over the Hornets.
The Great for the Cavs:
-After not getting the call for the All-Star Game, Jarrett Allen was a possessed man Friday night. He had a career-high 29 points and grabbed 22 rebounds(career-high 11 offensive rebounds).
The five-year veteran had a double-double at halftime(15 points and 11 rebounds). This was Allen’s third career 20-20 game. Allen acted as if he had something to prove, and yes, Jarrett Allen, you’re an All-Star.
-Kevin Love had another strong performance off the bench. After scoring 21 points and grabbing 13 rebounds in the loss to Houston. The five-time All-Star had 25 points, including six threes and nine rebounds Friday night. Also, Love made two clutch free throws with 01.2 seconds left to give the Cavs the win. He’s scored 20-plus points in four out of the last six games.
-Brandon Goodwin started at point guard for the injured Darius Garland(back), and he played well. Goodwin had 12 points, including fours, nine assists, and four steals. He had career-highs in assists, steals, and three-pointers made Friday night.
Second Quarter: Cleveland trailed 31-22 after one quarter. The Hornets pushed their lead to 37-27, and Cleveland went on a 13-3 run to tie things up at 40. The defense stiffened in the second. The Cavs held the Hornets to 4/20(20%) shooting from the field, and they created seven turnovers, leading to 10 points. Cleveland outscored the Hornets 30-15 in the quarter and led 52-46 at halftime.
Third Quarter: Kevin Love came alive in third. He scored 11 points in the quarter, including four threes. Again, Cleveland held the Hornets below 20 points(19) in a quarter, and Charlotte shot 0/6 from deep. Cleveland took a 17-point lead in the third and led 76-65 at the end of three.
The Not So Great for the Cavs:
Ed Davis: Well, it’s not his fault, but in the fourth, and the Cavs leading 90-80 with just under five minutes left, things got interesting.
After Dean Wade stepped out of bounds and the whistle was blown, Cleveland’s Ed Davis, who did not enter the game Friday night, touched Terry Rozier who was shooting a three. However, because Davis touched Rozier, he was called for interference, and Charlotte was awarded three points. In addition, Davis was issued a technical. Rozier made the free throw, and the Hornets cut the lead to 90-84.
Following the game, the officials acknowledged that they had made a mistake, and Rozier should not have been awarded the three points.
Bottom Line:
Wow! That was a fantastic game and a frantic finish. However, this was a quality win for the Cavs. Allen was extraordinary, and Love was clutch. The Cavs have been winning ugly without Garland in the lineup, and that’s okay.
Back to Allen, he sent a clear message to the league. More than likely, Brooklyn’s Kevin Durant won’t play in the All-Star Game, so commissioner Adam Silver will have to name a replacement. Well, Mr. Silver, if you’re watching, Allen is your guy.
“He’s Kevin Love. There was no doubt in our mind that when he was going to the free-throw line, he was going to make them both,” Cavaliers coach J.B. Bickerstaff said about Love’s game-winning free throws.
What’s Next:
Cleveland returns home Sunday to battle the Pacers.
Best of the Rest:
-Rozier led the Hornets with 24 points; Oubre Jr. had 21 points and nine rebounds, and LaMelo Ball chipped in with 15 points.
The Phoenix Suns have signed free agent center Bismack Biyombo to a 10-day contract, the team announced Saturday.
Currently, Phoenix is without Deandre Ayton, Jae Crowder, Abdel Nader, and JaVale McGee due to health and safety protocols.
Biyombo (6-8, 255 pounds) is a 10-year NBA veteran who appeared in 66 games (36 starts) with the Charlotte Hornets last season, averaging 5.0 points on 58.7% shooting, 5.3 rebounds, 1.1 blocks, and 20.4 minutes.
The 29-year-old was originally the seventh overall selection in the 2011 NBA Draft by Sacramento before being traded to Charlotte on draft night.
Phoenix continues their three-game road trip Sunday against the Hornets.
Winning on the road is always tricky in the NBA and even more difficult for a young team. However, on Monday, the Cleveland Cavaliers(4-4) ended their successful road trip with a victory.
The Cavaliers defeated the Charlotte Hornets 113-110 at Spectrum Center to end their five-game road trip 3-2.
Cleveland led by as many as 19 points on Monday night, including a season-high 40-point first quarter. The Cavaliers had six players in double figures. Charlotte(5-3) got back into the game and threatened late, but it wasn’t enough.
Here is the Great, Not so Great, and the Bottom Line of the Cavs’ win over the Hornets.
The Great for the Cavaliers:
Jarrett Allen set the tone for Cleveland on Monday night. He led the Cavaliers with a team-high 24 points(9/13 FG) and a game-high 16 rebounds. Allen had 15 points in the first quarter, which is a new career-high in points in a quarter.
-Evan Mobley finished the five-game road trip on a high note after scoring only two points against Phoenix on Saturday night. The rookie had a double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds. Mobley also added two steals and a block.
First-quarter: Cleveland scored a season-high 40 points in the quarter. They shot 51% from the field. They forced eight Hornets’ turnovers, which led to 12 Cleveland points.
-Lauri Markkanen had season-highs in points(21) and blocks(3). He also grabbed eight rebounds against Charlotte, and while he did not shoot(7/19 FG) it well on Monday, he did impact the game in other areas.
-Cedi Osman was great for the Cavs off the bench. He scored 13 points(4/5 from three-point range). Cleveland needed others to step up without Kevin Love(Health & Safety Protocols) and Isaac Okoro(hamstring), and Osman did just that.
-Defense: Cleveland set season highs in steals (12) and blocks (8).
Not so Great for the Cavaliers:
-Cleveland had 16 turnovers against Charlotte. The Cavs have to do a better job of protecting the ball.
Bottom Line:
What an excellent trip for Cleveland. They beat three playoff teams from a year ago(Hornets, Clippers, Nuggets) and were in a position to beat the Lakers and Suns. On paper, you thought the Cavs would maybe get one game on this trip, but they got three wins, and now they go home happy.
“Over the past few years it’s been like, ‘Oh, it’s the Cavs, it’s an off night.’ I’m just being honest, that’s how people looked at us,” Allen said. “But know we want people to look at us and say, ‘We need to bring our A game.'”
What’s next:
The Cavaliers head home to battle the Blazers on Wednesday night.
Best of the Rest:
Collin Sexton had 17 points and seven rebounds, and Darius Garland added 16 points, four assists, and three steals.
Charlotte’s LaMelo Ball had 30 points, seven rebounds, and six assists, and Terry Rozier had 23 and six rebounds.
On Wednesday night, the Cleveland Cavaliers(20-34) got a glimpse of what this team could be when they are entirely healthy. Cleveland got Larry Nance Jr. and Jarrett Allen back against the Charlotte Hornets(27-27), and while they were missing their leading scorer Collin Sexton(Left groin strain), it did not matter.
The Cavaliers got a game-high 25 points from Taurean Prince off the bench. Kevin Love and Darius Garland had 17 points apiece, and Jarrett Allen chipped in with 15 points and eight rebounds as Cleveland defeated the Hornets on the road 103-90.
Terry Rozier led the Hornets with 22 points.
Cleveland had 27 assists on 37 made field goals, led by Garland’s seven assists.
“It was fun for me,” Garland said after the game. “I was just making different reads and making plays.”
Cleveland moved to two games behind the 10th-seeded Bulls for the final spot in the Eastern Conference playoffs.
According to Allen, who returned after missing eight games due to a concussion, the Cavs will do whatever they can to get into the play-in tournament.
“We have 18 games to go, and we’re going to fight to get into that play-in game,” Allen said.
Garland added: “I think you will see the best basketball from us as we try to make a playoff push.”
At this point, it should be interesting to see what the Cavs look like at full strength, and they will pretty much be at full strength when Sexton returns.
After Thursday’s showdown against the Warriors, Cleveland will have an interesting eight-game stretch, which will include games against Bulls(2x), Wizards(2x), and the Raptors. The Bulls are the 10th seed, Washington is the 12th seed, and the Raptors are the 11th seed, so these games are an excellent opportunity for Cleveland to move up the Eastern Conference standings.
However, no matter what happens, it will be good for this young group to be involved in playoff-caliber basketball, which could help the young players going forward.
Notes:
Nance Jr. returned after missing seven games due to illness. He scored five points in 20 minutes off the bench against the Hornets.
Love recorded his 8,000th career rebound on Wednesday night. He is just the fifth player in NBA history with 13,000 points, 8,000 rebounds, and 1,000 three-point made field goals, joining LeBron James, Dirk Nowitzki, Antawn Jamison and Jason Kidd.
The Phoenix Suns and forward/center Frank Kaminsky III have agreed to a multiyear contract, the team announced today. According to reports, it’s a two-year, $10 million deal.
“Frank is an exceptional shooter who will help us space the floor and give our guards more room to operate,” said General Manager James Jones. “His size and strong decision-making skills are also a great fit for the team we are building, so we are excited to welcome Frank to Phoenix.”
Kaminsky, 7-0, 240 pounds, is a four-year NBA veteran with career averages of 9.8 points and 4.0 rebounds in 282 games with the Charlotte Hornets. Over the last two seasons, Kaminsky has shot 37.3% from three-point range with 154 total makes, the second-best percentage of any qualified seven-footer over this stretch behind only Karl-Anthony Towns. In 2018-19, he shot a career-best 46.3% from the field and averaged 8.6 points in 16.1 minutes. In 21 games after the All-Star break this past season, Kaminsky averaged 12.8 points and 4.8 rebounds while shooting 45.4% from the field, 36.6% from long range and 79.2% from the stripe.
Selected ninth overall by Charlotte in the 2015 NBA Draft, Kaminsky entered the NBA following an outstanding four-year career at the University of Wisconsin. The unanimous National Player of the Year for 2014-15, he led the Badgers to a school-record 36 wins and national runner-up finish, averaging 18.8 points, 8.2 rebounds and 1.5 blocks while shooting 54.7% from the field, 41.6% from behind the arc and 78.0% from the line. A First Team All-Big Ten selection in each of his final two seasons, he helped Wisconsin to consecutive Final Four appearances for the first time in program history in 2014 and 2015. The Badgers retired his No. 44 in 2018. A native of Lisle, Illinois, Kaminsky played high school ball at Benet Academy.
Hornets C Dwight Howard was fined 35k by the NBA, for an obscene gesture.
Here is a statement from the NBA:
Charlotte Hornets center Dwight Howard has been fined $35,000 for making an obscene gesture on the playing court, it was announced today by Kiki VanDeWeghe, Executive Vice President, Basketball Operations.
The incident occurred with 4:25 remaining in the 2nd quarter of the Hornets’ 100-99 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday, Nov. 24 at Quicken Loans Arena.
Dwight Howard went home to Atlanta last year after signing a three-year, $70.5 million deal, but after one season with the Hawks, the team wanted to go in a different direction. Howard, who was traded by the Hawks to the Hornets last week, will have an opportunity to be reunited with Hornets head coach Steve Clifford. As an assistant coach with the Magic and Lakers, Clifford worked with Howard for six seasons.
The Hornets introduced Howard today. The 31-year-old center will get another chance to prove the doubters wrong. Howard feels Charlotte is a great opportunity, and feels he has a lot left in the tank.
“I think I’m a lot healthier than I’ve been in the past five years. I think this is gonna be my best time,” Howard said.
“A lot of people always talk about the past, but I think I’m a lot wiser now, stronger, mentally and physically. I’m in the right place. Great coach, great GM, and the GOAT (Michael Jordan), so I think this is the perfect opportunity.”
Howard is not the same guy that Clifford coached in Orlando, but he still can be an effective player in the right situation. Howard is familiar with Steve Clifford, and averaged a double-double last season in Atlanta. Clifford told reporters last week that he believes Howard can still play at a high level. Plus, the Hornets really did not give up much up to get Howard. Charlotte reportedly wanted Howard last year before he signed with Atlanta.
This move is worth the risk for Jordan and the Hornets.
