Playoff-bound Cavaliers surrender season finale vs Hornets

Cleveland Cavaliers give up a non-bearing game

The Cleveland Cavaliers once again sat out the starters in a game with no bearing on the postseason, surrendering a 106-95 loss to the Charlotte Hornets in the regular season finale.

While the Tower City duo of Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley did suit up for this game, each of them only logged a quarter time worth of minutes in an effort to shake off some rust between the upcoming break. Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland, Isaac Okoro, and Caris LeVert all sat this one out.

New signee Sam Merrill led the Cavs in scoring with 17 points, while veteran reserve guards Raul Neto and Danny Green each added 13 markers in a game where the team visibly coasted through and just wanted to get done with.

On the other end, Hornets big man Mark Williams and backup guard Bryce McGowens each tallied 22 points to help lead the equally-shorthanded and lottery-bound Charlotte team to victory.

Cavs starters will likely sit out the season finale

Cleveland appeared contented with an impressive 51-win season that helped secure the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference with home-court advantage in the first round, drastically improving their odds for a deeper playoff run.

The entire city is undoubtedly anxious and excited about finally hosting a Playoff series after the Cavaliers successfully clinched their first postseason berth in five years. If last season’s play-in tournament games are to be used as the barometer, Cavs fans should have the entire Downtown Cleveland rocking once again.

While it is worth noting that while some of the current players have postseason experience, none of them had been with the team who made the NBA Finals in 2018. This is where the leadership of superstar Donovan Mitchell, veteran floor general Ricky Rubio, and even deep-end bench guys Danny Green and Raul Neto come into play.

The Cleveland Cavaliers will also benefit from a lengthy break to rest banged-up players before hosting the New York Knicks for Game 1 of the NBA Playoffs at the Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse on Saturday, April 15th.