THAT’S A WRAP
The Wine & Gold wrap up a wild ride, closing out the 2023-24 regular season on Sunday afternoon – welcoming the Hornets to town in the final tune-up before the First Round tips off next weekend.
The Cavs clinched their second straight Playoff berth on Friday night in an impressive win over the Pacers, and they’ll host their First Round foe to start the postseason. Donovan Mitchell had his second straight big offensive night and Jarrett Allen posted his 41st double-double of the season as Cleveland essentially went wire-to-wire over Indy – taking an early double-digit lead and holding off Indy’s rally down the stretch.
The Hornets are playing out the string, having dropped seven of their previous nine, including a 33-point shellacking in Boston on Friday night. The Celtics rested all their regulars and still held Charlotte to just two players in double-figure scoring.
These two split a home-and-home series in late March and Cleveland has taken four of the last six in the series overall. When the smoke clears on Sunday’s NBA slate, the Cavs will know which First Round opponent – Philly, Indiana or Orlando – they’ll face next weekend.
RISING TIDE
Brandon Miller is listed as questionable on Sunday with a wrist injury after playing just 13 minutes on Friday against Boston. The impressive rookie has missed just one game since January 19.
If he is able to go on Sunday, he’ll look for his third straight solid effort against Cleveland. After finishing with 24 points in the first meeting on March 25, he came back and scored 31, canning seven triples in the Hornets win.
The No. 2 overall pick last June out of Alabama established himself as a true building block for Charlotte, averaging 17.3ppg in 74 appearances – drilling 184 three-pointers to lead all rookies, connecting on 42 more than his next closest competitor.
If he gives it a go on Sunday, he’ll square off against Max Strus, who’s scored in double-figures just once in his last four outings, but had a strong floor game on Friday night – leading Cleveland with nine assists in the win.
A MANN’S WORLD
Tre Mann has made the most of his opportunity over the second half of the year, jumping into the starting lineup after being sent to Charlotte in a Deadline deal with the Thunder and wrapping up the season in style.
The 3rd-year man from Florida comes to Cleveland having scored in double-figures in four straight games – including a 19-point, eight-assist effort in Friday’s loss in Boston.
Mann was good in the two meetings against Cleveland late last month – averaging 14.5 points on 52 percent shooting in the set.
If Donovan Mitchell gives it a go on Sunday, he’ll face off against Mann. Mitchell just completed his best back-to-back offensive efforts since the All-Star Break, leading both teams with 33 points on Friday, going 12-for-27 from the floor and leading both teams with four steals.
Mitchell didn’t appear in either of the two contests against Charlotte in March.