NBA

Cleveland Cavaliers at Charlotte Hornets

· National Basketball Association
21-3, 8-2 Away
Final
116 - 102

6-17, 5-9 Home

Mobley scores career-high 41 points as Cavaliers beat Hornets 116-102

Josh Green rocks the rim with slam

Mobley scored 23 points as the Cavaliers built a 40-18 lead after the first quarter en route to their 21st victory in 24 games. The forward then had seven points in a late 12-2 surge as Cleveland held on.

Brandon Miller scored 24 points for Charlotte, which got as close as 104-100 with 5:05 left to play in its eighth straight loss.

Takeaways Cavaliers: The Cavaliers won their fourth straight game since a two-game losing streak in late November and continued their franchise’s best start since the 2008-09 season.

Hornets: The Hornets suited up nine players from their 15-player active roster. Probable starters LaMelo Ball (left calf strain), Miles Bridges (right knee bruise) and Nick Richards (right ankle sprain) were out. Reserve Grant Williams (torn knee ligament) told reporters before the game he would be having reconstructive knee surgery on Wednesday in Chicago with a recovery time of eight to 12 months.

Key moment The Cavs scored on five straight possessions as part of the 12-2 surge that pushed their lead back up to 116-102 after the Hornets had closed within four. with 1:46 left.

Key stat The Cavaliers have scored triple figures in all 24 games this season and lead the NBA in scoring average at 121.8 points per game. Their lowest total this season was 101 in a 117-101 loss at Atlanta on Nov. 29.

Up next The Cavaliers visit Miami on Sunday and the Hornets visit Indiana on Sunday.

Regular Season Series

CLE leads series 2-0

Matchup Prediction

Hornets: 13.5%
Cavaliers: 86.5%
*According to ESPN's Basketball Power Index

Recent Plays

4th 0.0 End of Game 116 - 102
4th 0.0 End of the 4th Quarter 116 - 102
4th 21.1 Vasilije Micic lost ball turnover (Evan Mobley steals) 116 - 102
4th 23.2 Vasilije Micic defensive rebound 116 - 102
4th 25.1 Darius Garland misses 26-foot three point pullup jump shot 116 - 102

Statistics

https://a.espncdn.com/combiner/i?img=/i/teamlogos/nba/500/cle.png&h=100&scale=crop&w=100&location=originCLE https://a.espncdn.com/combiner/i?img=/i/teamlogos/nba/500/cha.png&h=100&scale=crop&w=100&location=originCHA
42-84 FG 37-86
50.0 Field Goal % 43.0
14-38 3PT 11-39
36.8 Three Point % 28.2
18-24 FT 17-19
75.0 Free Throw % 89.5
47 Rebounds 37
14 Offensive Rebounds 10
33 Defensive Rebounds 27
28 Assists 21
6 Steals 6
6 Blocks 5
11 Turnovers 10
1 Team Turnovers 1
12 Total Turnovers 11
3 Technical Fouls 0
3 Total Technical Fouls 0
0 Flagrant Fouls 0
16 Points Conceded Off Turnovers 21
4 Fast Break Points 27
48 Points in Paint 42
20 Fouls 27
22 Largest Lead 1

Game Information

Spectrum Center

Location: Charlotte, NC
Attendance: 18,832 · Capacity:

2024-25 Central Standings

TEAM W L PCT GB STRK
Cleveland 56 10 .848 - W16
Milwaukee 37 28 .569 18.5 W1
Indiana 37 28 .569 18.5 W2
Detroit 37 30 .552 19.5 L1
Chicago 28 38 .424 28 W4

2024-25 Southeast Standings

TEAM W L PCT GB STRK
Atlanta 32 35 .478 - L1
Orlando 31 37 .456 1.5 L1
Miami 29 37 .439 2.5 L6
Charlotte 17 49 .258 14.5 W1
Washington 14 51 .215 17 W1
Full Standings

NBA News

Nets' Cam Thomas (hamstring) expected to be out for season

Nets' Cam Thomas (hamstring) expected to be out for season

Cam Thomas has been diagnosed with a left hamstring strain and is expected to miss the remainder of the season, the Nets announced.

Jimmy Butler's first-month magic: His quick impact on the Warriors  -- and every team he has joined

Jimmy Butler's first-month magic: His quick impact on the Warriors -- and every team he has joined

The Golden State Warriors have been a different team since acquiring Jimmy Butler III at the NBA's trade deadline in February -- but this isn't the first time he changed a team for the better.

Betting Knicks-Warriors: Two picks that stand out

Betting Knicks-Warriors: Two picks that stand out

Andre Snellings and Eric Moody highlight the best bets to make on Saturday night's Knicks-Warriors game on ABC.

Steph Curry meets 'superfan' Grandma Kitty

Steph Curry meets 'superfan' Grandma Kitty

Kathryn "Grandma Kitty" Ford shares a special moment with her "favorite grandchild," Steph Curry, after she went viral in January thanks to a TikTok detailing her Warriors fandom.

Fantasy basketball picks and betting tips for Saturday

Fantasy basketball picks and betting tips for Saturday

Jim McCormick breaks down Saturday's games and offers his top fantasy streamers and favorite bets.