Game ID: 22301048
Cleveland Cavaliers @ Charlotte Hornets
Wednesday, March 27, 2024 at 7:00 PM ET
Spectrum Center, Charlotte, NC
Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Final
CHA 33 36 31 18 118CLE 43 27 26 15 111
CHA vs CLE ScoutingCHA vs CLE Scouting
Welcome to the scouting desk. The coffee is cold, the film is play-by-play, and somebody has to explain what happened.
Every game has a hinge — a stretch where it was decided, usually while everyone was watching something else. Start where the evidence lives: the Lineups' face-offs say which five actually won their minutes; the Possessions ledger says who ran ahead of the night's own pace; the Shot Chart says where the points really came from, which is rarely where the highlights were. When all three agree, that is the story. When they don't — that is why this desk has a chair.
CHA availability going into 3/16 · back-to-backOUT McGowens missed 4 since 3/09, out tonight
OUT Bolden missed 6 since 3/05, out tonight
OUT Black missed 16 since 2/10, out tonight
BACK Mann back 3/13 after 3, 33 min since (105% of 31)
BACK Pokusevski back 3/09 after 5, 15 min since (80% of 19)
BACK Smith Jr. back 3/08 after 8, 12 min since (86% of 14)
NEW Bertans 21 to 27 min over the last 5
CHA availability going into 3/19 · 2 days' restOUT McGowens missed 5 since 3/09, out tonight
OUT Bolden missed 7 since 3/05, out tonight
OUT Black missed 17 since 2/10, out tonight
BACK Mann back 3/13 after 3, 34 min since (110% of 31)
BACK Pokusevski back 3/09 after 5, 16 min since (85% of 19)
NEW Bertans 21 to 26 min over the last 5
CHA availability going into 3/23 · 3 days' restOUT McGowens missed 6 since 3/09, out tonight
OUT Bolden missed 8 since 3/05, out tonight
OUT Black missed 18 since 2/10, out tonight
BACK Mann back 3/13 after 3, 33 min since (106% of 31)
CHA availability going into 3/25 · 1 day's restOUT McGowens missed 7 since 3/09, returns tonight: 3 min (21% of 15)
OUT Bolden missed 9 since 3/05, out tonight
OUT Black missed 19 since 2/10, out tonight
BACK Mann back 3/13 after 3, 32 min since (103% of 31)
CHA availability going into 3/27 · 1 day's restOUT Bolden missed 10 since 3/05, out tonight
OUT Black missed 20 since 2/10, out tonight
BACK McGowens back 3/25 after 7, 3 min since (21% of 15)
CHA availability going into 3/29 · 1 day's restOUT Bolden missed 11 since 3/05, out tonight
OUT Black missed 21 since 2/10, out tonight
BACK McGowens back 3/25 after 7, 3 min since (21% of 15)
CHA availability going into 3/31 · 1 day's restOUT Bolden missed 12 since 3/05, out tonight
OUT Black missed 22 since 2/10, out tonight
BACK McGowens back 3/25 after 7, 3 min since (18% of 15)
CHA availability going into 4/01 · back-to-backOUT Bolden missed 13 since 3/05, returns tonight: 15 min (115% of 13)
OUT Black missed 23 since 2/10, out tonight
BACK McGowens back 3/25 after 7, 4 min since (25% of 15)
NEW Micić 27 to 32 min over the last 5
CHA availability going into 4/03 · 1 day's restOUT Black missed 24 since 2/10, returns tonight: 15 min (139% of 11)
BACK McGowens back 3/25 after 7, 3 min since (21% of 15)
BACK Bolden back 4/01 after 13, 15 min since (115% of 13)
NEW Micić 27 to 34 min over the last 5
CLE availability going into 3/20 · 1 day's restOUT Strus missed 8 since 3/05, out tonight
OUT Eva. Mobley missed 7 since 3/06, out tonight
OUT Wade missed 5 since 3/10, out tonight
BACK Mitchell back 3/13 after 7, 27 min since (75% of 36)
BACK Thompson back 3/16 after 25, 15 min since (137% of 11)
NEW Okoro 26 to 34 min over the last 5
NEW Niang 21 to 28 min over the last 5
NEW Merrill 17 to 25 min over the last 5
CLE availability going into 3/22 · 1 day's restOUT Mitchell missed 2 since 3/18, out tonight
OUT Strus missed 9 since 3/05, out tonight
OUT Eva. Mobley missed 8 since 3/06, out tonight
OUT Wade missed 6 since 3/10, out tonight
BACK Thompson back 3/16 after 25, 13 min since (120% of 11)
NEW LeVert 28 to 34 min over the last 5
NEW Okoro 26 to 36 min over the last 5
NEW Niang 21 to 30 min over the last 5
NEW Merrill 17 to 24 min over the last 5
CLE availability going into 3/24 · 1 day's restOUT Mitchell missed 3 since 3/18, out tonight
OUT Strus missed 10 since 3/05, out tonight
OUT Eva. Mobley missed 9 since 3/06, returns tonight: 21 min (67% of 32)
OUT Wade missed 7 since 3/10, out tonight
BACK Thompson back 3/16 after 25, 14 min since (125% of 11)
NEW LeVert 28 to 35 min over the last 5
NEW Okoro 26 to 35 min over the last 5
NEW Niang 21 to 32 min over the last 5
NEW Merrill 17 to 25 min over the last 5
NEW Morris Sr. 15 to 21 min over the last 3
CLE availability going into 3/25 · back-to-backOUT Mitchell missed 4 since 3/18, out tonight
OUT Strus missed 11 since 3/05, out tonight
OUT Wade missed 8 since 3/10, out tonight
BACK Eva. Mobley back 3/24 after 9, 21 min since (67% of 32)
BACK Thompson back 3/16 after 25, 13 min since (119% of 11)
NEW Okoro 26 to 32 min over the last 5
NEW Niang 21 to 31 min over the last 5
NEW Merrill 17 to 26 min over the last 5
NEW Morris Sr. 15 to 21 min over the last 4
CLE availability going into 3/27 · 1 day's restOUT Mitchell missed 5 since 3/18, out tonight
OUT Strus missed 12 since 3/05, returns tonight: 24 min (75% of 33)
OUT Wade missed 9 since 3/10, out tonight
BACK Eva. Mobley back 3/24 after 9, 23 min since (73% of 32)
NEW Niang 21 to 30 min over the last 5
NEW Merrill 17 to 25 min over the last 5
CLE availability going into 3/29 · 1 day's restOUT Mitchell missed 6 since 3/18, returns tonight: 32 min (90% of 36)
OUT Wade missed 10 since 3/10, out tonight
BACK Strus back 3/27 after 12, 24 min since (75% of 33)
BACK Eva. Mobley back 3/24 after 9, 26 min since (81% of 32)
NEW Niang 21 to 28 min over the last 5
NEW Merrill 17 to 25 min over the last 5
CLE availability going into 3/31 · 1 day's restOUT Wade missed 11 since 3/10, out tonight
BACK Mitchell back 3/29 after 6, 32 min since (90% of 36)
BACK Strus back 3/27 after 12, 26 min since (79% of 33)
BACK Eva. Mobley back 3/24 after 9, 27 min since (85% of 32)
NEW Niang 21 to 28 min over the last 5
NEW Merrill 17 to 25 min over the last 5
CLE availability going into 4/02 · 1 day's restOUT Wade missed 12 since 3/10, out tonight
OUT Porter Jr. missed 2 since 3/29, out tonight
BACK Mitchell back 3/29 after 6, 32 min since (88% of 36)
BACK Strus back 3/27 after 12, 26 min since (81% of 33)
BACK Eva. Mobley back 3/24 after 9, 27 min since (86% of 32)
NEW Merrill 17 to 23 min over the last 5
CLE availability going into 4/03 · back-to-backOUT Okoro missed 2 since 3/31, out tonight
OUT Wade missed 13 since 3/10, out tonight
OUT Porter Jr. missed 3 since 3/29, out tonight
BACK Mitchell back 3/29 after 6, 32 min since (88% of 36)
BACK Strus back 3/27 after 12, 28 min since (86% of 33)
NEW Merrill 17 to 24 min over the last 5
I Know — the desk, before tip-off
Written before tip-off, from the five games each side brought in.
Charlotte comes in 0-5 over its last five, scoring 94 a night and allowing 115, shooting 43 percent and 27 from three, 17 free throws a game; Bridges at 17 and Miller at 16 a game. That is 5 straight losses. It has lost the glass by 8 a night. One day's rest. Cleveland comes in 2-3 over its last five, scoring 100 a night and allowing 105, shooting 46 percent and 35 from three, 20 free throws a game; Allen at 18 and Garland at 15 a game. Without Mitchell (5 straight), Strus (12 straight), Wade (9 straight). One day's rest.
So: Cleveland wins, on the road, and the game turns on the arc, Cleveland at 35 percent from three to Charlotte's 27 and the defense, Cleveland allowing 105 a night to Charlotte's 115. Call it Cleveland 110, Charlotte 105.
3/16 @ PHI 98-109 — CHA notes
CHA lost 98-109. CHA shot 45% (37 of 82) to PHI's 44%, 10 of 31 from three, and got to the line 18 times to PHI's 25. Mann led with 21 (7 of 16, 3 of 6 from three, 4 of 7 at the line); Bertans added 16, Bridges 14. Q3 was theirs, 24-26, but the other 3 periods went 83-74 against them. Williams's -17 in 27 minutes was the worst on the floor.
3/19 @ ORL 92-112 — CHA notes
CHA lost 92-112. CHA shot 48% (38 of 79) to ORL's 54%, 9 of 29 from three. The glass went 30-41 against them. Miller led with 21 (7 of 20, 4 of 9 from three); Micić added 20, Bridges 16. Q3 was theirs, 33-24, the deficit cut from 35 to 26, but the other 3 periods went 88-59 against them. Miller's -25 in 32 minutes was the worst on the floor.
3/23 @ ATL 91-132 — CHA notes
CHA lost 91-132. CHA shot 42% (35 of 84) to ATL's 56%, 11 of 39 from three. CHA turned it over 13 times to ATL's 8, and ATL turned those into 9 steals. Bridges led with 27 (11 of 19, 4 of 7 from three); Miller added 13, Richards 12. Q1 was theirs, 28-30, but the other 3 periods went 102-63 against them. Bridges's -32 in 37 minutes was the worst on the floor.
3/25 @ CLE 92-115 — CHA notes
CHA lost 92-115. CHA shot 42% (34 of 80) to CLE's 53%, 9 of 28 from three, and went to the line 18 times to CLE's 10 — 15 points from the stripe to their 6. The glass went 33-47 against them. Miller led with 24 (8 of 18, 3 of 8 from three); Bridges added 13, Mann 12. Q3 was theirs, 29-27, the deficit cut from 14 to 12, but the other 3 periods went 88-63 against them. Williams's -24 in 27 minutes was the worst on the floor.
3/27 vs CLE 118-111 — CHA notes
CHA won 118-111. CHA shot 58% (44 of 76) to CLE's 49%, 13 of 33 from three, and went to the line 22 times to CLE's 14 — 17 points from the stripe to their 8. Miller led with 31 (11 of 19, 7 of 13 from three); Bridges added 17, Mann 17. The hinge was Q2, 36-27: the deficit went from 10 to 1. CHA trailed 69-70 at the half and won the second half 49-41. Williams was the night's best plus/minus at +11.
3/29 vs GSW — I Know, the desk before tip-off
Written before tip-off, from the five games each side brought in.
Charlotte comes in 1-4 over its last five, scoring 98 a night and allowing 116, shooting 47 percent and 32 from three, 16 free throws a game; Miller at 19 and Bridges at 17 a game. It has lost the glass by 5 a night. One day's rest. Golden State comes in 3-2 over its last five, scoring 114 a night and allowing 108, shooting 48 percent and 36 from three, 14 free throws a game; Curry at 21 and Thompson at 20 a game. It has won the glass by 6 a night. Without Šarić (4 straight). One day's rest.
So: Golden State wins, on the road, and the game turns on the glass, where Golden State has been plus-6 a night and Charlotte minus-5 and the defense, Golden State allowing 108 a night to Charlotte's 116. Call it Golden State 115, Charlotte 108.
3/31 vs LAC — I Know, the desk before tip-off
Written before tip-off, from the five games each side brought in.
Charlotte comes in 1-4 over its last five, scoring 98 a night and allowing 117, shooting 46 percent and 31 from three, 17 free throws a game; Miller at 20 and Bridges at 19 a game. It has lost the glass by 6 a night. One day's rest. The Clippers come in 3-2 over their last five, scoring 111 a night and allowing 115, shooting 50 percent and 37 from three, 20 free throws a game; Leonard at 23 and George at 22 a game. Without Theis (3 straight). One day's rest.
So: The Clippers win, on the road, and the game turns on the arc, the Clippers at 37 percent from three to Charlotte's 31 and the glass, where the Clippers have been minus-1 a night and Charlotte minus-6. Call it the Clippers 114, Charlotte 109.
4/01 vs BOS — I Know, the desk before tip-off
Written before tip-off, from the five games each side brought in.
Charlotte comes in 1-4 over its last five, scoring 103 a night and allowing 121, shooting 46 percent and 34 from three, 18 free throws a game; Bridges at 22 and Miller at 20 a game. It has lost the glass by 6 a night. Second night of a back-to-back. Boston comes in 3-2 over its last five, scoring 119 a night and allowing 110, shooting 50 percent and 38 from three, 19 free throws a game; Tatum at 29 and Brown at 23 a game. One day's rest.
So: Boston wins, on the road, and the game turns on the defense, Boston allowing 110 a night to Charlotte's 121 and the glass, where Boston has been minus-0 a night and Charlotte minus-6. Call it Boston 119, Charlotte 108, Boston by 11.
4/03 vs POR — I Know, the desk before tip-off
Written before tip-off, from the five games each side brought in.
Charlotte comes in 1-4 over its last five, scoring 106 a night and allowing 118, shooting 47 percent and 36 from three, 17 free throws a game; Bridges at 22 and Miller at 22 a game. That is 3 straight losses. It has lost the glass by 8 a night. One day's rest. Portland comes in 0-5 over its last five, scoring 99 a night and allowing 118, shooting 45 percent and 31 from three, 14 free throws a game; Banton at 22 and Henderson at 17 a game. That is 5 straight losses. Without Simons (5 straight), Sharpe (38 straight). One day's rest.
So: Charlotte wins, and the game turns on the turnovers, Portland giving it away 16 times a game to Charlotte's 10 and the glass, where Portland has been minus-3 a night and Charlotte minus-8. Call it Charlotte 113, Portland 109, Portland keeping it close.
3/20 vs MIA 104-107 — CLE notes
CLE lost 104-107. CLE shot 47% (35 of 75) to MIA's 46%, 15 of 42 from three. Allen led with 25 (10 of 13, 5 of 6 at the line); Garland added 20, Niang 18. Q4 was theirs, 29-24, the deficit cut from 8 to 3, but the other 3 periods went 83-75 against them. LeVert's -9 in 37 minutes was the worst on the floor.
3/22 @ MIN 91-104 — CLE notes
CLE lost 91-104. CLE shot 42% (34 of 81) to MIN's 48%, 7 of 29 from three. Garland led with 19 (8 of 21, 0 of 6 from three); LeVert added 16, Allen 15. Q2 was theirs, 29-21, turning a 5-point deficit into a 3-point lead, but the other 3 periods went 83-62 against them. Allen's -18 in 33 minutes was the worst on the floor.
3/24 @ MIA 84-121 — CLE notes
CLE lost 84-121. CLE shot 42% (30 of 72) to MIA's 52%, 9 of 29 from three. CLE turned it over 17 times to MIA's 9, and MIA turned those into 13 steals. The glass went 30-44 against them. Mobley led with 15 (4 of 6, 5 of 6 at the line). Q4 was theirs, 27-31, but the other 3 periods went 90-57 against them. LeVert's -26 in 20 minutes was the worst on the floor.
3/25 vs CHA 115-92 — CLE notes
CLE won 115-92. CLE shot 53% (46 of 86) to CHA's 42%, 17 of 41 from three, and got to the line 10 times to CHA's 18. The glass went 47-33 for them. Allen led with 17 (7 of 9); Mobley added 17, Niang 17. The hinge was Q2, 31-17: from level to 14 ahead, and the lead reached 25. Niang was the night's best plus/minus at +19.
3/27 @ CHA 111-118 — CLE notes
CLE lost 111-118. CLE took 9 more shots (85 to 76), but shot 49% to CHA's 58%, 19 of 44 from three, and got to the line 14 times to CHA's 22. Allen led with 24 (11 of 14); Strus added 19, Merrill 17. Q1 was theirs, 43-33, but the other 3 periods went 85-68 against them. They led by as many as 14. Okoro's -13 in 25 minutes was the worst on the floor.
3/29 vs PHI — I Know, the desk before tip-off
Written before tip-off, from the five games each side brought in.
Cleveland comes in 1-4 over its last five, scoring 101 a night and allowing 108, shooting 47 percent and 36 from three, 17 free throws a game; Allen at 18 and Garland at 15 a game. Without Mitchell (6 straight), Wade (10 straight). One day's rest. Philadelphia comes in 1-4 over its last five, scoring 104 a night and allowing 108, shooting 44 percent and 35 from three, 18 free throws a game; Maxey at 22 and Harris at 16 a game. Without Embiid (27 straight), Melton (15 straight), Covington (41 straight). One day's rest.
So: Cleveland wins, in a game with no one edge to lean on. Call it Cleveland 110, Philadelphia 107, Philadelphia keeping it close.
3/31 @ DEN — I Know, the desk before tip-off
Written before tip-off, from the five games each side brought in.
Denver comes in 3-2 over its last five, scoring 110 a night and allowing 106, shooting 47 percent and 33 from three, 22 free throws a game; Jokić at 28 and Porter Jr. at 17 a game. Without Murray (4 straight). One day's rest. Cleveland comes in 2-3 over its last five, scoring 104 a night and allowing 110, shooting 49 percent and 38 from three, 15 free throws a game; Allen at 16 and Eva. Mobley at 16 a game. Without Wade (11 straight). One day's rest.
So: Denver wins, and the game turns on the glass, where Denver has been plus-4 a night and Cleveland minus-3 and the line, where Denver takes 22 free throws a game to Cleveland's 15. Call it Denver 112, Cleveland 107.
4/02 @ UTA — I Know, the desk before tip-off
Written before tip-off, from the five games each side brought in.
Utah comes in 0-5 over its last five, scoring 108 a night and allowing 122, shooting 44 percent and 33 from three, 25 free throws a game; Collins at 24 and Sexton at 23 a game. That is 5 straight losses. Without Clarkson (3 straight), Lofton Jr. (11 straight), Horton-Tucker (2 straight). One day's rest. Cleveland comes in 2-3 over its last five, scoring 106 a night and allowing 115, shooting 49 percent and 39 from three, 16 free throws a game; Eva. Mobley at 17 and Allen at 16 a game. It has lost the glass by 7 a night. Without Wade (12 straight). One day's rest.
So: Utah wins, and the game turns on the line, where Utah takes 25 free throws a game to Cleveland's 16 and the arc, Cleveland at 39 percent from three to Utah's 33. Call it Utah 114, Cleveland 113, Cleveland keeping it close.
4/03 @ PHX — I Know, the desk before tip-off
Written before tip-off, from the five games each side brought in.
Phoenix comes in 3-2 over its last five, scoring 113 a night and allowing 109, shooting 50 percent and 39 from three, 15 free throws a game; Booker at 30 and Durant at 26 a game. It has won the glass by 8 a night. One day's rest. Cleveland comes in 3-2 over its last five, scoring 115 a night and allowing 113, shooting 52 percent and 41 from three, 16 free throws a game; Allen at 19 and Eva. Mobley at 18 a game. Without Okoro (2 straight), Wade (13 straight). Second night of a back-to-back.
So: Phoenix wins, and the game turns on the glass, where Phoenix has been plus-8 a night and Cleveland minus-2. Call it Phoenix 115, Cleveland 111, Cleveland keeping it close.
Who is who
the initials in the Players column
CLECL C. LeVert
CP C. Porter Jr.
DG D. Garland
EM E. Mobley
GN G. Niang
IO I. Okoro
JA J. Allen
MS M. Strus
SM S. Merrill
TT T. Thompson
CHAAP A. Pokusevski
BM B. Miller
DB D. Bertans
GW G. Williams
MB M. Bridges
MI Micic
NR N. Richards
TM T. Mann
VM V. Micić
CLE/CHA the team itself, not a player
-- the feed named nobody
What
What happened
the codes in the Events column
M2 / M3 made 2 / made 3
X2 / X3 missed 2 / missed 3
FT / X1 free throw made / missed
AST assist
OR / DR offensive / defensive rebound
STL steal
BLK block
TO turnover
FL foul
OF offensive foul — ends the possession
VIOL violation
JUMP jump ball
TM timeout
IR instant replay
HE heave at the buzzer, filed to the team
END the clock ran out, ball in hand
Where
Where a shot came from
the middle field of M3.LW.25
RM at the rim inside 4 ft
RC right corner
RW right wing
SO straight on
LW left wing
LC left corner
M3.LW.25 made 3, left wing, 25 ft
X2.RM.01 missed 2, at the rim, 1 ft
When
When it happened
the Offset column
one number per event, in the Events order:
whole seconds from the start of the
possession to that event
Events FL X3.RC.23 OR M2.RM.01
Offset 0 18 22 24
the foul opens the possession at 0s;
the putback ends it at 24s, which is
the possession's own Dur
Brandon Miller scores 31 points on career-high seven 3s as Hornets beat Cavaliers 118-111
CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- — Rookie Brandon Miller made a career-high seven 3-pointers and finished with 31 points, and the Charlotte Hornets beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 118-111 on Wednesday night to avenge a 23-point loss earlier in the week.
Miles Bridges and Tre Mann each added 17 points and Grant Williams had 16 off the bench for Charlotte (18-54), which shot 58% from the field to snap a five-game losing streak. Vasa Micic had 11 points and 12 assists, and Nick Richards added 11 points and 10 rebounds.
But it was Miller who provided the boost — and the knockout blow with a 3 with 25 seconds left — for the Hornets.
“He was big,” Hornets coach Steve Clifford said of the NBA draft's No. 2 overall pick, who was 11 of 19 from the field and had six rebounds. "He made big plays and he got going in the second half. Another really good performance.”
The same can't be said of the Cavaliers (44-29), who lost to one of the league's worst teams.
Jarrett Allen scored 24 points and Max Strus , who returned after missing three weeks with a knee injury, added 19 on five 3s. Sam Merrill had 17 points for the slumping Cavs, who have lost four of their last five games.
“You go through ups and downs during a season and we definitely aren't playing our best basketball right now,” Merrill said. “We've got to fix that, clearly. But we have also shown that we can play at a high level and we have nine games to get that back before the playoffs.”
The Cavaliers beat the Hornets 115-92 on Monday night in Cleveland after Marcus Morris Sr . was ejected after throwing a high elbow that flattened Richards . Morris did not play in this game.
Cavs coach J.B. Bickerstaff said his team didn't have the right mental approach, calling it a “frustrating” game.
“Our attitude toward winning and losing was not where it needed to be," Bickerstaff said. “We settled in the first quarter because we thought the game was going to be easy because we were scoring. ... But they’re NBA players too, and if you give them confidence and you give them opportunity, it’s going to come back and bite you.”
The Hornets, who were beginning an eight-game homestand after playing 13 of 17 on the road, played inspired from the start.
During one stretch in the fourth quarter, Charlotte had four chances to score after two offensive rebounds by Williams kept the possession alive. That eventually resulted in Miller charging down the lane for an open one-handed dunk.
Darius Garland 's pull-up 3 from the top of the key gave the Cavaliers a 107-105 lead with 6:47 left in the game and it appeared the Cavs might be on the verge of pulling away.
But the Hornets stayed close and regained the lead with two minutes remaining when Miller fed Bridges for an alley-oop dunk in transition and then followed by hitting a one-handed floater.
Cleveland didn’t score in the final 3:28 of the game.
Allen missed two free throws with 1:04 left and the Cavaliers had two turnovers in the final minute, including a travelling call on Caris LeVert .
Miller tied the franchise rookie record for 3s in a game.
“I wasn’t aware, I was just happy that we got the win," Miller said. "With being on a losing streak, I think a win like this can start something great and we’ll try to build off this.”