TITLE: Cavs Hold Off Hornets 118–113, Stretch Winning Streak to Seven
SLUG: cavs-hold-off-hornets-seventh-straight-win
CONTENT:
The Cleveland Cavaliers weathered a late push from the Charlotte Hornets on Friday night, securing a 118–113 road victory that extended their winning streak to seven games.
With the result, Cleveland moved to 36-21 overall and has now taken 12 of its last 13 contests. The club is 5-0 since guard James Harden joined the lineup.
Mitchell Takes Over Late
Donovan Mitchell led all scorers with 32 points, delivering 13 in the fourth quarter to keep Charlotte at bay. The All-Star guard consistently attacked off the dribble and capitalized on defensive switches down the stretch.
Harden Orchestrates Offense
Harden finished with 18 points and eight assists, acting as the primary playmaker in the closing minutes. His patience in half-court sets allowed Cleveland to generate high-percentage looks despite Charlotte’s hot shooting earlier in the night.
Allen Sets the Tone
Center Jarrett Allen powered the Cavaliers early, scoring 11 of his 26 points in the opening period. He added 14 rebounds and provided effective screens and seals that freed teammates for open looks.
Hornets Ride Rookie’s Shooting
Hornets rookie Kon Knueppel nearly swung the game with a 33-point performance that included seven three-pointers. Charlotte (26-31) drilled eight threes in the third quarter to briefly take the lead.
The Hornets collected 37 second-chance points, a figure magnified by Cleveland’s absence of forward Evan Mobley, who is sidelined with an injury.
Closing Stretch
Charlotte cooled to 2-for-15 from beyond the arc in the fourth, while Cleveland claimed the final period 28-24 to seal the win. The Cavaliers never trailed after regaining the lead early in the quarter.
Up Next
Cleveland travels to Oklahoma City for a Sunday matinee against the defending champion Thunder at 1:00 p.m. EST. Oklahoma City will be without injured starters Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams and Ajay Mitchell.
Source: Hoops Wire
