Cavaliers look to bounce back quickly in Charlotte
SLUG: cavaliers-look-to-bounce-back-quickly-in-charlotte
The Cleveland Cavaliers will try to erase the memory of Monday’s home blowout when they visit the Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday night at 7 p.m. EST.
Situation entering Wednesday
Cleveland (24-20) dropped its most recent game to the Oklahoma City Thunder but remains just 1.5 games out of third place in the Eastern Conference. Charlotte (16-27) owns one of the NBA’s top net ratings over the last two weeks, a stretch highlighted by a 55-point victory over the Utah Jazz.
Key players
With guard Darius Garland still sidelined, the Cavaliers are expected to lean heavily on Donovan Mitchell for offensive production. Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen handle front-court responsibilities and will try to stabilize a defense that has been solid overall yet uneven in recent outings.
Charlotte’s recent surge has been driven by LaMelo Ball, Brandon Miller and Kon Knueppel, who have pushed the pace and stretched opposing defenses from the opening tip.
What’s at stake
The matchup gives Cleveland an immediate chance to show it resembles the team that won two straight in Philadelphia last week rather than the one that struggled against Oklahoma City. A win would also keep the Cavaliers within striking distance of the East’s upper tier.
Source: Hoops Wire
