NBA: Defense leads the way in Cavaliers' defeat of Hornets

Donovan Mitchell scored 24 points and the Cleveland Cavaliers played strong defense to secure a 94-87 win over the host Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday night.

Evan Mobley recorded a double-double with 14 points and 14 rebounds, while Jaylon Tyson added 14 points and Jarrett Allen contributed 13. The Cavaliers improved to three wins in their last four games despite shooting just 20% from beyond the arc (8-for-40) and committing 20 turnovers.

Brandon Miller led the Hornets with 24 points, and Kon Knueppel added 21 points but went 2-for-10 from three-point range. Collin Sexton and Miles Bridges each scored 11 points for Charlotte.

Hornets star guard LaMelo Ball struggled offensively, finishing with only two points on 1-for-15 shooting and missing all 10 of his three-point attempts. He played 22 minutes off the bench but managed a game-high seven assists.

Charlotte posted its lowest home point total of the season, shooting just 33.7% from the field and 17% from three-point range (8 of 47).

The Cavaliers dominated the glass, finishing with a 60-47 rebounding advantage. Knueppel led Charlotte with 11 rebounds, one short of his career high.

Cleveland’s win wasn’t easy in the final minutes. Miller scored five straight points to pull the Hornets within 91-85 with under a minute remaining.

Charlotte got the ball back with 27.1 seconds left, and Knueppel missed a 3-pointer before scoring on a drive. Tyson made one of two free throws, but the Hornets failed to score again and Allen sealed the win with two free throws.

Cleveland built a strong lead early, producing a 16-2 run late in the second quarter to take a 56-32 halftime advantage. Mobley had already reached double-digit rebounds by halftime.

The Hornets fought back in the third quarter, closing the gap to 76-64. They started the fourth quarter with a 5-0 run, but Cleveland responded with 10 of the next 14 points, including back-to-back baskets from Tyson.

Charlotte then struggled offensively, scoring only four points over nearly six minutes, allowing the Cavaliers to rebuild a 15-point lead.

— Field Level Media/Reuters