Cleveland’s 21-point first-quarter avalanche and a 56-32 halftime choke-hold were just enough to offset a furious Charlotte rally and an 0-of-10 brick fest from LaMelo Ball.
The Cleveland Cavaliers turned Wednesday night in Charlotte into a 12-minute clinic, blitzing the Hornets 35-14 in the opening quarter and nursing that margin all the way to a 94-87 victory. Donovan Mitchell poured in 14 of his game-high 24 points before intermission, and Cleveland’s defense held Charlotte to a season-worst 26% shooting in the first half, forcing the Hornets into rushed threes and 16 live-ball turnovers.
First-Quarter Avalanche Buries Hornets Early
Cleveland came out scorching, ripping off a 20-4 run sparked by Mitchell’s three first-quarter triples and a relentless paint attack from Jarrett Allen. The Cavs shot 11-of-15 in the period, assisted on eight of those buckets and turned six Charlotte turnovers into 13 points. By the time the Hornets called their second timeout, the deficit was 21 and the Spectrum Center crowd was audibly restless.
Charlotte’s 12-point second quarter tied a franchise low for any period this season. The Hornets finished the half 1-of-21 from deep, including an uncharacteristic 0-of-7 from LaMelo Ball, who came off the bench for load-management purposes on the first night of a back-to-back.
Ball’s Bench Experiment Backfires
Coach Charles Lee elected to bring Ball off the pine for the second straight game, hoping to preserve his star for Thursday’s trip to Orlando. The plan imploded. Ball logged only four points on 1-of-15 shooting and missed all 10 three-point tries, by far the worst single-game accuracy of his five-year career. Charlotte’s offense, already 25th in efficiency, cratered to 93.2 points per 100 possessions in Ball’s 27 minutes, per NBA.com.
“When your best creator starts 0-for-10, the whole gym tightens up,” Lee said post-game. “We’ll reassess the rotation, but the bigger issue was the avalanche in quarter one.”
Mobley, Tyson Provide Secondary Punch
While Mitchell supplied fireworks, Evan Mobley anchored both ends with 14 points, 14 rebounds and three blocks, recording his 11th double-double of the season. Rookie Jaylon Tyson chipped in 14 on 6-of-9 shooting, giving Cleveland a much-needed bench jolt that helped offset a quiet 3-of-11 night from Darius Garland.
Hornets’ Rally Comes Up Four Short
Charlotte clawed within 12 in the third behind transition threes from Brandon Miller and put-back dunks by rookie Kon Knueppel, who finished with 21 points and 11 boards. A late 8-0 burst—highlighted by Miller’s corner triple and Knueppel’s Euro-step layup—cut the margin to 90-86 with 13 seconds left, but Dean Wade sank four straight free throws to ice it.
The Hornets’ 8-of-46 night from deep (17.4%) was their worst volume performance since 2021, dropping them to 2-9 when shooting below 30% from three, according to Basketball-Reference.
What It Means Going Forward
- Cleveland (28-16) moves within a half-game of second-place Boston in the East and improves to an NBA-best 13-6 on the road. The Cavs have now held four straight opponents under 90 points, a defensive streak reminiscent of their 2022 playoff surge.
- Charlotte (12-32) remains 13th in the conference and falls to 1-12 on the second night of back-to-backs, a schedule management issue that could prompt front-office action before the February trade deadline.
- Mitchell’s 24 points pushed his January average to 27.4 on 48/41/86 splits, re-entering the All-NBA conversation after a minor calf scare earlier this month.
Looking Ahead
Cleveland returns home Friday to face Sacramento in the first game of a season-long six-game homestand—an opportunity to consolidate top-three seeding. Charlotte flies to Orlando Thursday, where Ball is expected to re-enter the starting lineup against a Magic defense that ranks top-five in opponent three-point percentage.
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