It doesn’t take an in-depth analysis of the stat sheet to see how the Cavaliers had their five-game win streak stopped in Charlotte. A quick look at the rebounding numbers says it all.
Despite being without their two best players – Kemba Walker and Al Jefferson – the Hornets dominated on the boards, 49-28, and exploited another lackluster third quarter for Cleveland to hand the Cavaliers the 106-97 loss on Wednesday night at the Time Warner Cable Arena.
For the second time in as many games, the Wine and Gold came out flat in the third period and the shorthanded Hornets turned a nine-point halftime deficit into a seven-point lead – outscoring Cleveland, 33-17. Over the Cavs’ last two games, they’ve been outscored in the third, 63-32.
In terms of rebounding numbers, Kevin Love led the Cavaliers with 12 boards, while the rest of the squad added a combined 16 in the loss.
Love doubled-up for the 23rd time this season, adding 12 points to his dozen rebounds, adding two steals and a pair of blocks.
Kyrie Irving led both teams with 26 points, going 10-of-17 from the floor and 5-of-5 from the stripe to go with five assists and a steal. It was Irving’s fourth straight game topping the 20-point plateau.
LeBron James followed up with 23 points on 10-for-21 shooting, adding six boards, a team-high six assists and two blocks. But one game after helping the Cavaliers snap a 10-game losing streak in Indiana, James had a personal streak snapped – falling for the first time in 22 games against Charlotte, a streak that dated back to February, 2010.
J.R. Smith pitched in with 14 points, going 4-for-9 from long-distance and adding a game-high four steals. He also picked up a technical foul midway through the fourth quarter when he and former Cavalier, Spencer Hawes, locked horns battling for a loose ball – a moment that had been simmering from the previous two possessions.
During the Cavaliers’ five-game win streak, they’d been averaging 114.2 points per – topping the 110-point mark in all five, a streak no Cleveland team had accomplished in 33 years. But they struggled to find any offensive continuity in the second stanza on Wednesday night. Overall, the Cavs shot 46 percent from the floor, including 36 percent from beyond the arc.
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