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The Cavs took another step forward toward being ready for the playoffs today, knocking off the Charlotte Hornets by the score of 112-103. Playing without Kyrie Irving, who was resting a sprained ankle that was suffered during the overtime win in Atlanta, the Cavs still had three dynamic performances to help seal the win. LeBron James, Kevin Love and JR Smith all scored at least 25 points. LeBron led the Cavs with another all-around performance, with 31 points, 12 assists and 8 rebounds. Smith went 6-9 from 3-point range and finished with a season-high 27 points, while Love finished 5-8 from long range for 25 points and also had 9 rebounds. The three high scorers were incredibly efficient in the process, combining to shoot 61% from the field (34-56).
The Cavs came out of the gates and made it a point to take advantage of the smaller frontcourt of the Hornets. They attacked early and scored 10 of their first 12 points in the paint, and it seemed to put the whole team in a very good rhythm to start the game. Together the Cavs would make 10 of their first 13 field goals, and finish the quarter making 13 out of 19. To add to the onslaught, the Cavs closed the quarter on a 9-1 run, and only allowed the Hornets to shoot 33% from the field. Kevin Love (10 points) and LeBron James (8 points) led the way for the Cavs combining for 18 points, as the pair didn’t miss a shot (8-8 FG). The Cavs ball movement was the catalyst for the strong shooting, as the team finished the quarter with 10 assists on 13 made field goals. After the first quarter the Cavs lead was 10 at 29-19.
The second quarter was more of the same for the Cavaliers. Love and LeBron continued their dominance in the paint, and the Cavs shooters took advantage of the defense committing more to stopping those two in the paint. The Cavs took a 56-42 lead into the half, shooting 60% from the field and 57% (8-14) from behind the arc in the first half. The defense was particularly locked in as the Cavs were able to hold the Hornets to 38% shooting, and were also able to hold high scoring point guard Kemba Walker to just 8 points in the first half. LeBron and Love continued to lead the Cavs offensively. For the half, LeBron had 16 points and 6 assists. Love scored 13 points in the half, and was able to knock down all three of his attempts from long range.
The third quarter struggles for the Cavs continued, as the Hornets were able to make a big run to cut into a game-high 21-point lead for the Cavs. A 15-4 run by the Hornets, led by the offense of Kemba Walker, brought the lead down to 8 at 71-63. JR Smith made two from long distance to help preserve a double-digit lead and answer the Hornets momentum. The Cavs answered the run collectively with a 15-8 finish to the quarter, and were able to take a 15-point advantage into the fourth quarter at 86-71.
The Cavs held on in the fourth quarter, despite some bad turnovers and continued strong play by Kemba Walker. The Hornets were actually able to cut the lead to just 4 points late in the fourth quarter, but timely 3-point shots by JR Smith and Kevin Love allowed the Cavs to maintain the lead. The Cavs never lost composure, regardless of the Hornets’ momentum. They made smart plays late in the game and were able to get enough stops on the defensive end at critical times to preserve the 9-point win. The Cavs will try to make another step toward home court advantage in the east as they visit Milwaukee on Tuesday night.
Click “Next” to see all the highlights from tonight’s game!
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