The Cleveland Cavaliers walked out of Charlotte with a win on Wednesday night, but let’s be honest-it wasn’t pretty. In a game that felt more like a throwback to the grind-it-out, early-2000s NBA, the Cavs held on for a 94-87 victory over the Hornets. They led by more than 20 at halftime, but nearly let it all slip away before doing just enough to close the door late.
This one wasn’t about offensive fireworks-it was about who could survive the coldest shooting night of the season. And for Charlotte, it was downright brutal.
LaMelo Ball had a night to forget, finishing 1-of-15 from the field and missing all 10 of his three-point attempts. When your lead guard can’t buy a bucket, especially in front of a national TV audience, it’s hard to stay competitive.
To put it in perspective: the two teams combined to shoot 16-of-87 from deep. That’s not a typo.
It was the kind of night where every made three felt like a minor miracle. The Cavs weren’t exactly lighting it up either, but they did just enough to hold off a Hornets team that couldn’t capitalize on Cleveland’s second-half scoring drought.
And while this game was part of the NBA’s “Rivals Week” showcase, the connection between these two squads might’ve left some fans scratching their heads. The most obvious link?
The Ball brothers-LaMelo in Charlotte, Lonzo in Cleveland. That’s about as far as the rivalry narrative stretches, and with Lonzo still sidelined, even that storyline didn’t get much traction.
Still, the Cavs needed this one. After getting blown out by the Thunder on Monday, they had to respond, and they did-at least defensively. Holding any team under 90 points in today’s NBA is a feat, even when the opposing offense is ice cold.
Cleveland now turns its attention to Friday night’s matchup at home against the Sacramento Kings. If they want to build some momentum, they’ll need to clean up the offensive execution and avoid the kind of second-half lapse that nearly cost them in Charlotte. But for now, a win is a win-and in a long season, sometimes that’s all that matters.