Cavaliers at Hornets
The Cleveland Cavaliers managed to keep their winning streak alive – barely – and will attempt to make it six straight victories when they visit the Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday. The Cavaliers needed overtime to dispatch the Indiana Pacers on Monday but were pleased at their ability to pull out a win even when things weren’t going their way.
"Every game is going to be different and we have to be able to play different styles," LeBron James told reporters after the 111-106 victory. "We've shown we can play a fast-paced game. (Monday) versus a division rival, a division game on the road, when it's not going as well as we would like, we have to be able to slow down and execute. We were able to do that." James, Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving totaled 68 points in the win and have thrived as a trio under new coach Tyronn Lue. The Hornets are coming off a strong defensive performance, though the competition was not quite as stiff as Cleveland should provide. Charlotte held the Western Conference-worst Los Angeles Lakers to 33.8 percent from the field on Sunday to wrap up a 2-2 road trip.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, FSN Ohio (Cleveland), FSN Southeast (Charlotte)
ABOUT THE CAVALIERS (35-12): Cleveland reportedly held a players-only meeting after general manager David Griffin informed the team that former head coach David Blatt had been fired, and the three stars challenged each other to be more accountable to each other and the team. So far the message seems to have gotten across, and the Cavaliers are sharing the ball and lighting up the scoreboard with over 110 points in each of the last five games. All five starters finished with at least 14 points in Monday’s win while Irving and James combined for 13 assists.
ABOUT THE HORNETS (23-25): Charlotte has won four of its last six games but was forced to lean on its defense on Sunday as the struggles of the backcourt continued. Starting guards Jeremy Lin and Kemba Walker combined to go 5-of-24 from the field while Nicolas Batum and Jeremy Lamb each sat out with toe injuries. Walker, who leads the team in scoring (20.2 points), is shooting 29.5 percent from the floor in the last five games, including 27.3 percent from 3-point range.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Cavaliers C Tristan Thompson is 23-of-30 from the field in the last five games.
2. Hornets F Michael Kidd-Gilchrist is 11-of-15 from the field in his first two games after sitting out the first 46 contests with a shoulder injury.
3. Cleveland has taken each of the last four meetings, including a 95-90 triumph in Charlotte on Nov. 27.