Cavs falter 118-111 to Hornets

This one didn’t feel good.

The Cleveland Cavaliers would like to have this one back. A late-season loss to the Charlotte Hornets is not what anyone had planned. Let’s recap how it happened:

Coming up Short

Closing games has been a thorn in the Cavaliers' side this season. A back-and-forth affair seemed to be heading in the right direction when Cleveland stormed to take the lead late in the final quarter. And then... the Hornets went on an 11-0 run.

It was more of the same for the Cavs. Playing against the clock because their offense milked too much time before getting into a set. Turning it over due to indecision. But most painful of all, sending Charlotte to the free throw line repeatedly because they fell into the bonus earlier in the quarter.

This is the real deal-breaker for Cleveland. In a game where they shot the cover off of the ball for three quarters, it was the defense that came up short. Had the Cavs simply played with their usual assertiveness from the get-go, it might have been another coast to victory. Instead, they feel the sting of defeat.

It wasn’t all bad, though. Max Strus returned with a barrage of three-pointers, finishing with 19 points on 5-10 shooting while Sam Merrill poured in 17 points on 5-11 three-point shooting. Jarrett Allen was sturdy as usual with 24 points and 8 rebounds.

Darius Garland posted 14 points and 12 assists but was a turnstile defensively. Caris LeVert’s trainwreck possessions in the closing minutes all but sealed the deal.

Big Picture

What can be said about this team in game 73? We have seen the best and worst this iteration of the Cavs has to offer. Tonight was the latter of the two.

With Mobley and Strus returning and Donovan Mitchell next in line, the Cavaliers should be in good shape (physically) entering the playoffs. All that’s left to see is which version of the team decides to trot across the finish line.