CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Hornets aren’t quite ready for prime time.
Playing in front of a national audience during what the NBA has labeled “Rivals Week,” the Cavs overwhelmed still-rebuilding Charlotte with a 94-87 wire-to-wire win on Wednesday night inside the Spectrum Center.
It’s Cleveland’s fourth victory in the last six games.
Prior to tipoff, Cavs coach Kenny Atkinson raved about Charlotte’s trajectory, pointing to it being one of the league’s best teams over the last 15 games, with a dynamic offense that would test Cleveland’s enigmatic defense.
Atkinson said his undermanned team needed to be ready for a potential onslaught.
Cleveland was.
Viewed at the start of the season as a threat to rip away the conference crown, the Cavs scored the first eight points of the game, hitting four of their first five shots and flexing their proverbial muscles.
It took less than four minutes for Cleveland to have its first double-digit lead. By the halfway point of the first quarter, the Cavs had sent the Hornets into a 15-point hole, as Charlotte — playing its first game after a lengthy West Coast road trip — missed eight of its first nine shots.
The first-quarter margin eventually reached 21.
By the 2:55 mark of the opening half, the Cavs had increased that advantage to a game-high 27. Their lead was 24 at the half.
But the young Hornets, with five wins in their previous nine games, stormed out of the locker room, using a 12-2 run to send a jolt through an arena that hasn’t seen the home team in almost two weeks — and had little to cheer about in the first half.
In all, they outscored Cleveland 32-20 during those turnaround 12 minutes, cutting the deficit in half and looking to turn the tables against the Comeback Cavs, who have become known for late-game rallies.
Although the Hornets pulled within seven at the 10:23 mark — the tightest the game had been since the opening minutes — the Cavs thwarted that run.
In the final minute, the Hornets put even more pressure on Cleveland, making it a four-point game with 12.8 left. After second-year swingman Jaylon Tyson split a pair of free throws on the following possession, Charlotte had a chance to pull even closer. But Brandon Miller bricked an open corner 3-pointer, his eighth missed triple of the night, and Jarrett Allen corralled the rebound, sealing the victory at the free-throw line.
A competitive second half turned what seemed like an apparent mismatch into a tussle. But the Cavs showed their superiority — even without Darius Garland (right great toe sprain), Sam Merrill (sprained right hand) and Max Strus (foot surgery).
They used a balanced attack — the kind of next-man-up-mentality that Atkinson has discussed since Garland and Merrill went down with injuries last week.
All-Star hopeful Donovan Mitchell had a team-high 24 points to go with six assists and three rebounds in 37 minutes. Evan Mobley added 14 points and 14 rebounds while making an impact on defense. Tyson finished with 14 points and seven boards while Allen chipped in with 13 points.
The Hornets, who were held to just 33.7% shooting and 17% from beyond the arc, got 24 points from Miller. Rookie Kon Knueppel had a double-double, with 21 points and 11 rebounds. Miles Bridges and former Cavalier Collin Sexton had 11 points apiece.
There’s no deep-rooted rivalry between Cleveland and Charlotte. No divisional ties. No bad blood. No vitriol. The idea behind Wednesday being classified as that was another matchup between siblings — Cleveland’s Lonzo Ball and Charlotte’s LaMelo Ball.
Lonzo didn’t play, bumped from the rotation again.
LaMelo came off the bench for the Hornets. He finished with two points on 1 of 15 from the field.
Not exactly what the league had in mind. But it’s what the Cavs needed, especially after Monday’s no-show against the champs.
Up next
The Cavs return home for a matchup with the Sacramento Kings on Friday night. Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m.
