Key: Buzz Kill
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With the NBA’s odd second half schedule, teams are packing in the matchups. After playing the Bulls for the second time in six days, the Cavaliers travel to Charlotte for the second time in eight days for a Friday night matchup with the Hornets.
The Wine & Gold needed a bounce-back win in the worst way, and they got a good one on Wednesday night at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse – taking the floor in a bad mood and taking it out on Chicago – holding the Bulls to 12 first-quarter points, running out to a 25-point first half lead and not looking back the rest of the way. Cleveland’s starting backcourt had another big night as Greg Buckner got his first career win as a head coach taking over for J.B. Bickerstaff, who missed the game with personal reasons.
The Hornets come into tonight’s contest reeling – having dropped six of their last seven, including a drubbing by those same Bulls on Thursday night in Chicago. During their recent skein, they’ve dropped each of their last four losses by double digits, including a 12-point defeat to the Wine & Gold on April 14, with Taurean Prince coming off the bench to lead everyone with 25 points.
Key: Guarded Optimism
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In the Cavaliers victory back in mid-April – their second of the season versus Charlotte, shooting for the season sweep on Friday – they were able to contain Youngstown native and former Shaker Heights Red Raider, Terry Rozier.
That’s been no easy task for Cleveland over the course of his brief career with Boston and now Charlotte.
Before being “held” to 22 points in the last matchup, the 6th-year man from Louisville had gone for at least 30 points in each of his previous three – including a 42-point outburst in the season opener, drilling 10 triples in the process. Over that four-game stretch, “Scary Terry” has averaged 32.3 points, shooting 51 percent from the floor and 51 percent from long-distance.
He’ll be busy on both ends tonight, taking on a Cavaliers backcourt that’s playing its best combined basketball of the season.
Collin Sexton has topped the 20-point mark in each of his last 11 outings, topping the 30-point plateau in two of those, including Wednesday’s effort, going 11-for-17 from the floor, including 3-of-5 from deep and 5-of-6 from the stripe, adding a game-high seven assists, three boards and a steal.
In becoming the quickest Cavalier in franchise history to hit 200 three-pointers, Darius Garland drilled all four triple attempts on Wednesday – finishing with 25 points on 8-of-13 shooting, adding four assists and a pair of steals in the win.
Key: Feeling the Love
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Near the back end of his third season out of Michigan State, Miles Bridges seems like he’s starting to figure it out.
The high-flying forward, who turned in arguably the dunk of the season last month, has found some consistency of late – notching double-figure scoring in his last dozen outings, including a 33-point outburst one game after dropping 20 on the Wine & Gold.
Over that recent 12-game stretch, the 12th overall pick in 2018 is averaging 18.4 points on 51 percent shooting, including 42 percent from long-range.
He’ll spend part of Friday night working against Kevin Love, who’s starting to round himself back into form after being sidelined for much of the season with a calf injury.
Since returning to the lineup on April 1, the 13th-year man has notched 15 points in each of his last two outings, leading Cleveland with nine boards on Wednesday. In Cleveland’s mid-April win over Charlotte, Love doubled-up with 17 points and 11 boards, going 6-of-12 from the floor.
In 26 career contests against the Hornets, Love has posted eight 20-point games, a pair of 30-point outings and a 40-point, 12-rebound blowout back in 2012.