In the opening frame of the Cleveland Cavaliers' 1115-90 home win over the Charlotte Hornets, there was a bit of unease from the fans around the arena. Heading into this game, the Cavs have looked lost on offense, and, against the Hornets, it felt like more of the same. Charlotte had walled things off on the interior, covering an issue that continually plagued them.
The move by the Hornets also weakened the Cavs' ability to apply pressure from their guards and bigs at the rim. Sure, Cleveland was able to draw first blood on a pick-and-roll alley-oop from Darius Garland to Jarrett Allen. But, when the Hornets walled them off, instead of letting it frustrate them, the Cavs did what all serious NBA contenders do: They adapted.
Cleveland adjusted Charlotte's defense by firing away from three-point range, especially with the Hornets comfortably and continually leaving players wide open. Sure, the Cavs did start out slow — only connecting on 14.3% of their 13 perimeter attempts in the first quarter. But Cleveland eventually found comfort on the perimeter, cracking Charlotte's defense wide open in the second quarter by hitting on 70% of their three-point attempts.
“We've had our ups and downs and our tough moments but you don't sit where we're sitting right now without being able to respond,” said Cavs head coach J.B. Bickerstaff. “I thought our guys did a great job of it. What I was most pleased with was the joy they played with, the level of competition, and how they were competing.”
The Cavs shared the ball to get the win
Once Cleveland was able to stretch out the Hornets on defense, it made it easier to play attack the basket and put away Charlotte once and for all. Overall, the Cavs connected on 64.4% of their attempts within the three-point line, generating 58 points and clearly showcasing that they'd broken the Hornets on defense. More impressively, Cleveland generated an assist on 85.5% of their made baskets, making this a total collective dominance.
“I mean, 41 assists on 46 field goals is phenomenal,” said Bickerstaff. “In that first quarter if we had made some shots we would've had even more.”
Sure, there were moments where Charlotte rookie Brandon Miller made things dicey to open the second half. But, it never felt like the Cavs were in danger of blowing the lead. But, for a team as rudderless as Cleveland has been on offense lately, a dominant win like this could be exactly what they needed going forward.
“It’s definitely a grind,” Allen said. “It’s a physical grind having to play night in, night out. That’s gonna wear on anybody … But I think we’re getting past that. I think games like this where we show what we’re capable of in terms of passing, in terms of just playing Cavs basketball. It goes a long way.”
The Cavs have refound the spark that seemingly abandoned them when the grind of an 82-game slog started to weigh on them. Mobley shared postgame that he felt the team was playing with a sense of camaraderie and overwhelming joy. That can be powerfully infectious and, if it hits at the right time, could be perfect for when the Cavs make their playoff run.
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