Cavs vs Hornets score, highlights: Cavaliers take foot off gas before playoffs

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Cavs vs Hornets score, highlights: Cavaliers take foot off gas before playoffs

Nate Ulrich, Akron Beacon Journal · Akron Beacon Journal

Mon, Apr 15, 2024 ·

9 min read

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CLEVELAND — With home-court advantage in the upcoming NBA playoffs secure, the Cavaliers rested some key players in Sunday's regular-season finale against the Charlotte Hornets and took their foot off the gas late.

The Cavs lost 120-110. They wound up with the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference and will have home-court advantage in the first round against the fifth-seeded Orlando Magic .

All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell sat out Sunday, giving his left knee bone bruise a break before the Cavs (48-34) eventually play Game 1 against the Magic (47-35) either April 20 or 21.

Point guard Darius Garland (back contusion) didn't face the Hornets (21-61), either. He was inactive after being listed as doubtful to play.

Cavs playoffs: Cleveland Cavaliers to face Orlando Magic in first round. Game 1 is Saturday

Cavaliers guard Darius Garland reacts in the fourth quarter against the Charlotte Hornets, March 25, 2024, in Cleveland.

In addition to Mitchell, the Cavs ruled out sixth man Caris LeVert (knee soreness), shooting guard Sam Merrill (neck strain), forward Dean Wade (sprained knee) and point guard Ty Jerome (ankle). Jerome has missed virtually the entire season.

Mitchell, Garland and LeVert played key parts Friday in the Cavs beating the Indiana Pacers 129-120 to clinch a playoff spot for the second consecutive season.

Tipoff between the Cavs and Hornets occurred at 1:10 p.m. Sunday. Here is how our updates unfolded throughout the game.

Below is some information about the fourth quarter.

Cavs lose to Hornets 120-110

With playoff seeding implications involved, the Cavs used players down the stretch of the fourth quarter who seldom appear in NBA games.

The Cavs lost the lead when Hornets guard Nick Smith Jr. made a 3-pointer with 3:37 remaining. He finished with a game-high 24 points. The Cavs trailed 110-108 after Smith's shot and never threatened to rally. Some of the fans in attendance booed.

Cavs who played Sunday but not in the fourth quarter included center Jarrett Allen and forwards Evan Mobley and Georges Niang . In the final quarter, guard Max Strus played four minutes as he sought the first triple-double of his NBA career (he got it), and small forward Isaac Okoro logged two minutes.

"We were aware as [other games throughout the NBA were] going on, but once we sat our guys at the end of the third quarter and they had the mindset that they weren't going to go back in, I didn't want to take any risks in putting them back in the game when they had already cooled down and then something else happened," Cavs coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. "So, again, you're always aware of it. You're taking a peek at it, but I thought the safety of our guys was the most important thing, and when they were shut off, I didn't want to have to go ramp them back up to put them in late in the fourth quarter where something worse could happen to them, so that's what we stuck with."

Max Strus record first triple-double of his NBA career

In the fourth quarter, Strus reached the 10-rebound plateau, meaning he had recorded the first triple-double of his NBA career. Strus had 14 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds.

During a timeout with 5:55 left, the Cavs led 108-102. They scored just two points the rest of the way.

The ultra-competitive Strus didn't love the way the Cavs ended the game.

"I mean, I don't know. I wanted to win," Strus said before pausing for five seconds. "I don't really know what else to say about it. I'm kind of mad we didn't, but I'm glad the younger guys got the chance to play a little bit more."

Revere High School graduate Pete Nance scores first points in NBA regular season

Cavs rookie forward Pete Nance is one of those young guys Strus referenced. Nance entered the game to begin the fourth quarter and then made a 3-pointer with 11:21 remaining.

The shot accounted for Nance's first points in a regular-season NBA game. It was the eighth regular-season game in which he appeared.

Nance is a Revere High School graduate and the youngest child of Cavaliers legend Larry Nance Sr. Nance's older brother, Larry Nance Jr. , also played for the Cavs.

Below is some information about the third quarter.

Cavs lead Hornets at the end of the third quarter

Through three quarters, the Cavs led the Hornets 96-88.

Niang scored a team-high 16 points, all through three quarters. Niang is the lone Cavs player to appear in all 82 games this regular season. He's also the franchise's first player to do since the 2018-19 season.

Allen finished with 14 points on a perfect 7-of-7 shooting from the field. Evan Mobley also had 14.

Strus finished the third quarter three rebounds away from his first NBA triple-double.

Isaiah Mobley takes advantage of playing time as Cavs earn 91-84 lead vs. Hornets

Forward Isaiah Mobley checked into the game for the first time in the third quarter and scored five points in two minutes.

With the older Mobley brother helping, the Cavs went ahead 91-84 with 2:17 left in the third quarter.

The Mobley brothers played at the same time for the first time in a regular-season NBA game. With 3:32 left in the third quarter, Isaiah Mobley made a jump shot on an assist from Evan Mobley.

Cavs lead Hornets 81-75 with 5:42 left in the third quarter

Like Nance and Isaiah Mobley, Cavs rookie second-round draft pick Emoni Bates received more playing time than usual.

With the Cavs ahead 81-75 during a timeout with 5:42 left in the third quarter, Bates had seven points in 12 minutes. Bates would have had more production if he hadn't missed a dunk with 5:27 remaining. He finished with seven points in 29 minutes.

Mar 27, 2024; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward Isaac Okoro (35) with a reverse layup against the Charlotte Hornets during the first quarter at Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports

Below is some information about the second quarter.

Cavs lead Hornets 58-57 at halftime

The Cavs led the Hornets 58-57 at halftime.

Strus foreshadowed his triple-double by scoring 11 points, dishing out seven assists and grabbing five rebounds in the first half. As mentioned earlier, he achieved the milestone in the fourth quarter.

Niang had 11 first-half points to lead the Cavs in scoring along with Strus. Allen added 10 points.

Forward JT Thor paced the Hornets in the first half with nine points. Thor finished with 20 points.

Below is some information about the first quarter.

Cavs lead Hornets 33-24 at the end of the first quarter

The Cavs led the Hornets 33-24 at the end of the opening quarter.

Strus made 3-of-4 3-pointers and led the Cavs with nine points in the first quarter.

Thor and forward Leaky Black led the Hornets with five points apiece in the opening quarter.

Cavs rookie Craig Porter Jr. leaves game with injury late in first quarter

Undrafted rookie point guard Craig Porter Jr. and veteran forward Marcus Morris Sr. were hurt late in the first quarter.

Porter's injury appeared to be significant. He left the game with 2:30 left in the opening quarter and was helped to the locker room by medical personnel. He avoided putting weight on his left leg as he exited the court.

Early in the second quarter, the Cavs announced Porter suffered a sprained left ankle and would not return to Sunday's game.

Morris was shaken up with about three minutes remaining in the first quarter. He was slow to rise. But after a timeout for Porter's injury, Morris remained in the game. He had seven points in 19 minutes.

Cavs lead Hornets 17-13 midway roughly midway through the first quarter

Strus made his first two 3-pointers of the game and gave the Cavs their first six points before his third attempt rattled in and out of the basket.

The Cavs led 17-13 during a timeout with 5:35 left in the first quarter. Okoro made a 3-pointer on an assist from Evan Mobley with 6:21 remaining, and Porter made a dunk on an assist from Allen to put the Cavs ahead by four points with 5:51 left.

Okoro finished with 11 points and six assists.

Below is some pregame information.

How much did Cavs plan to play their starters in regular-season finale?

During Bickerstaff's pregame media availability, the coach said the regular Cavs starters who were active for Sunday's game "will get an opportunity to play ... and then we'll tinker with lineups and give guys an opportunity who haven't gotten as much opportunity."

In other words, fans should not have expected big-name Cavs players to carry a full workload against the Hornets.

Bickerstaff explained the Cavs' thought process about sitting Mitchell, Garland and LeVert on Sunday.

"If we can give them yesterday and today and get out throughout this week, hopefully by Saturday or Sunday, whenever it is that we play [Game 1 of our first-round playoff series], that's an advantage for us," Bickerstaff said.

Later, the Cavs announced Strus, Okoro, Evan Mobley, Porter and Allen as their starters versus the Hornets.

Feb 7, 2024; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Sam Merrill (5) prepares to shoot over Washington Wizards center Daniel Gafford (21) during the first half at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports

Will Sam Merrill and Dean Wade be available to play for the Cavs in the playoffs?

Merrill missed his third consecutive game. Wade missed his 19th in a row.

Bickerstaff said he still didn't know whether Wade will be available to play in the postseason, but the Cavs expect Merrill to be ready for it.

"We're hopeful, yeah," Bickerstaff said of Merrill being able to play in the postseason. "He's making progressions. Just still some things that affect his shot from a soreness standpoint. So we just want him again to get healthy so that he can be comfortable being who he is."

What is the history between the Cleveland Cavaliers and Charlotte Hornets ?

The Cavs and Hornets split their first two games this season.

Cleveland won 115-92 on March 25 at home. Charlotte won 118-111 on March 27 at home.

The Cavs are now 75-51 in their all-time series with the Hornets. Cleveland is 47-16 at home.

Cavs column: Cleveland Cavaliers are more hungry, less satisfied after clinching NBA playoff berth this time

Mar 27, 2024; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen (31) goes up for a shot against Charlotte Hornets forward Brandon Miller (24) during the first quarter at Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports

What is the injury report for the Hornets vs the Cavs?

The Hornets ruled out the following players due to injury: guard LaMelo Ball (ankle), guard Seth Curry (ankle), guard/forward Cody Martin (ankle) and center Mark Williams (back).

They listed forwards Davis Bertans (Achilles soreness), Miles Bridges (wrist contusion), Brandon Miller (sprained wrist) and Grant Williams (sprained ankle) as questionable to play along with center Nick Richards (plantar fascia discomfort). Bertans, Richards, Bridges, Miller and Williams did not play.

How can I watch, stream or listen to Cleveland Cavs vs. Charlotte Hornets?

The game was televised locally on Bally Sports Ohio. It was broadcast on the radio via WTAM (1100-AM), WMMS (100.7-FM) and WNZN (89.1-FM).

Nate Ulrich can be reached at nulrich@thebeaconjournal.com. On Twitter: @ByNateUlrich .

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Playoff-bound Cavs rest Donovan Mitchell, others in loss to Hornets

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