Cavaliers’ skid deepens as offense blanks in overtime against Hornets
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The Cleveland Cavaliers have dropped six of their last nine outings, a stretch capped by Sunday’s 110-101 overtime loss to the Charlotte Hornets in which Cleveland failed to record a single point in the extra five minutes.
As CBS Sports’ Brad Botkin noted, being shut out for an entire overtime period is uncommon, and doing so versus one of the league’s lowest-rated defenses has raised alarm inside and outside the locker room.
Two nights earlier, the Cavaliers needed 48 points from Donovan Mitchell to escape Washington with a narrow victory. After that game, Mitchell acknowledged the reliance on his heroics. “This is a good win, but it’s also not a good win. We can’t be in this situation,” he said.
Playing down to opponents
Botkin argued that while strong teams occasionally underperform against lesser competition, Cleveland has done so with increasing regularity. The slide includes a defeat to an injury-depleted Golden State squad that was missing Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green.
Injury concerns
Absences have mounted. Darius Garland, Jarrett Allen, Sam Merrill, Lonzo Ball and Larry Nance Jr. have all missed extended time, and Evan Mobley is now sidelined by a calf strain. Garland, coming off offseason toe surgery, has struggled to recapture his previous form, according to Botkin.
Metrics still encouraging — when healthy
Despite the recent losses, Cleveland remains around the top 10 in most efficiency categories, and its primary lineup has dominated in limited minutes together. Botkin cautioned, however, that the margin for error shrinks rapidly whenever even one key piece is missing.
With a challenging portion of the schedule looming, the Cavaliers may have little time to regroup before the pressure intensifies.
Source: Hoops Wire
