Cavaliers outclass struggling Hornets for back-to-back wins

Cleveland Cavaliers claim back-to-back wins in NC

The Cleveland Cavaliers completed a sweep of the back-to-back series on the road against the Charlotte Hornets with a dominant 120-104 win. With two consecutive relatively easy victories, the Cavs continue to solidify their hold of solo fourth place in the East with a 44-27 record.

After mounting a comeback win over the Hornets just two nights ago, the Cavaliers decided to put a stamp on this match early even while missing the services of stars Donovan Mitchell (sprained finger) and Jarrett Allen (eye contusion).

While it started out as a tight contest in the first quarter, Cleveland began to pull away in the second period and never looked back, building a lead that ballooned to as much as 26 at one point.

Evan Mobley led the Cavs in scoring with 26 points, while Cedi Osman stepped up to add 24 huge points off the bench. Caris LeVert, who started in place of Mitchell also put up 22 points as Darius Garland added 19 in the win.

On the other end, Kelly Oubre returned to lead all scorers with 28 markers, while guard Terry Rozier had another solid outing against his hometown team with 22 points and nine assists in the loss.

The Cavs should try to contend for a top-three berth

With memories of last year’s late-season collapse that cost them barely missing out on a postseason berth after crashing out after two play-in tournament losses against the Brooklyn Nets and the Atlanta Hawks, the Cavaliers should find enough motivation to reach for not only the postseason but also a possible top-three spot in the postseason.

Not only is the team raring to compete in the actual playoffs, but homecourt advantage should also be on the radar if they are serious about a deep postseason run. On pace to finish firmly among the top four teams in the East, the young Cavs squad is also just three games behind third-placed Philadephia 76ers.

The road-weary Cleveland Cavaliers will have little time to recover as the team travels back home to host the aforementioned Sixers in a pivotal clash with less than 24 hours to spare.