Donovan Mitchell scored 24 points and the Cleveland Cavaliers built a commanding early lead before holding off a late rally to defeat the Charlotte Hornets 94-87 on Wednesday night.
Evan Mobley recorded a double-double with 14 points and 14 rebounds, while Jaylon Tyson added 14 points and Jarrett Allen chipped in 13 points and nine boards as Cleveland earned its fifth road win in the past six games.
The Cavaliers dominated from the opening tip, racing to a 21-point lead in the first quarter after hitting 11 of their first 15 shots. Cleveland’s aggressive on-ball defense smothered Charlotte early, forcing rushed shots and turnovers. The Hornets managed just 32 points in the first half on 26% shooting and matched a season low with 12 points in the second quarter, trailing 56-32 at the break.
Mitchell set the tone with 14 first-half points, and Cleveland never allowed Charlotte to find an offensive rhythm through the opening two quarters.
Charlotte showed signs of life in the third quarter, ignited by transition offense and back-to-back alley-oops from LaMelo Ball to Brandon Miller, trimming the deficit to 12. The Hornets continued to push late, cutting the lead to four in the final seconds on a Miller 3-pointer followed by a driving layup from Kon Knueppel, but the comeback fell short.
Miller led Charlotte with 24 points, while Knueppel finished with 21 points and 11 rebounds. The Hornets struggled from deep, connecting on just 8 of 46 3-point attempts, and were outrebounded 60-47.
Hornets coach Charles Lee again brought Ball off the bench on the first night of a back-to-back to manage his workload, but the decision didn’t pay off. Ball endured one of the toughest performances of his career, scoring four points on 1-of-15 shooting and missing all 10 of his attempts from beyond the arc.
Up next:
Up next, the Cavaliers return home to host the Sacramento Kings on Friday. The Hornets continue their homestand with a visit to Orlando on Thursday.
