- Charlotte Hornets (28-30) vs. Cleveland Cavaliers (21-37)
- Friday, April 23, 2021 at 8 PM EST (Spectrum Center)
- Bally Sports and WFNZ 610 AM or 102.5 FM
- Last time out: Cavaliers won, 103-90 on April 14, 2021 in Charlotte
Charlotte Still Searching for Offense in Loss to Chicago
Coming off a second half where they scored just 31 points earlier this week in New York, the Hornets offense continued to look stagnant in a 108-91 road loss to the Bulls last night. Devonte’ Graham had a team-high 16 points for the visitors, who struggled throughout the evening to score in the paint (44 points on 52% shooting) and from three (8-of-31) against a physical Chicago unit. With little time to regroup and facing another sizeable opponent in the Cavaliers, the Hornets absolutely have to get more balanced scoring from across the rotation tonight.
PJ Washington, Collin Sexton Both Back and Healthy for Rematch
Each side will have a significant piece of its respective rotation back that didn’t play in last Wednesday’s meeting because of injuries. Charlotte combo big man PJ Washington returned from an ankle sprain on April 18 and is averaging 17.0 points and 4.3 rebounds in three outings since, while Cleveland guard Collin Sexton has put up 27.5 points on 54/59% shooting in his last four appearances. Washington’s presence should help a Charlotte squad that got outrebounded by nine back on April 14, with Sexton presumably taking more pressure off fellow backcourt starter Darius Garland.
Hornets Need More Improved Showing from Second Unit
Charlotte stayed within striking distance late into its last meeting with Cleveland, but the Cavaliers hit big shot after big shot down the stretch to pull away for the win. Specifically, reserve Taurean Prince (who is out tonight) and Dean Wade combined to go 5-of-5 from three in the final frame, helping catapult the former to a season-high 25 points. Sexton’s return has pushed the then-starter Wade back to the second unit, with Charlotte needing a better bench outing this time around after being outscored by its Cleveland counterpart 41-19 nine days ago.
Preview Quote
“It’s tough to score right now – bottom line. We’ll keeping looking for ways to put the ball in the hole. It’s putting tremendous pressure on our defense right now, the inability to make shots. It’s tough. Our defense is pretty good when we get set, but we just have to continue to fight. I think we’re getting good looks from three. If we can’t make threes, it’s going to be tough for us to score ninety points every night. That’s just the reality.” – Hornets Head Coach James Borrego
Final Thoughts
Charlotte managed to score just 122 points over the final six quarters of its brief two-game road trip as offensive issues continue to flare up amidst the lengthy absences of scoring catalysts LaMelo Ball, Gordon Hayward and Malik Monk. Now heading into a three-game homestand back in Buzz City, hopefully the friendly confines of Spectrum Center will help the Hornets get some more points on the board starting tonight.
Additional Notes
F Taurean Prince (left ankle soreness), G Damyean Dotson (left knee soreness) and G Dylan Windler (left knee surgery) are all out for Cleveland tonight… The Hornets have now dropped six of their last seven outings… Charlotte is now 1-3 against the Cavaliers since the start of the 2019-20 season (only win: Jan. 2, 2020 in Cleveland)… The Cavaliers have won consecutive games just once (April 5-8) since a season-best four-game winning streak from Feb. 23-March 1.