The Cleveland Cavaliers blew out the Charlotte Hornets at home, 129-90. LeBron James led the way with 25 points on 9 of 15 from the field and added six rebounds, nine assists, and four steals in 27 minutes.
J.R. Smith had 21 points, four rebounds, and four assists, including seven three-pointers. Kyrie Irving posted 18 points on 7 of 12 from the field, and had four rebounds and two assists in 28 minutes. Timofey Mozgov notched another double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds. He has made a huge difference since coming over from Denver. Kevin Love only had nine points, three rebounds, and three assists in 30 minutes. Iman Shumpert made his Cavalier debut and pushed in eight points on a perfect 3 of 3 from the field, including two rebounds, two assists, and two threes.
The Cleveland Cavaliers dominated this game from start to finish. The Cavs shot 51.7 percent from the field and were 53.6 percent on 15 of 28 from three. They held the Hornets to 90 points on 40.4 percent shooting from the field, and Hornets shot only 2 of 16 from three.
The Cavaliers got in transition tonight with 27 fast break points. They have played very well on the defensive end over the last few games. Cleveland is now on a five-game winning streak. They have revived their season since James' return from injury and the additions of J.R. Smith and Timofey Mozgov. The Cavaliers' next game is at home against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Sunday, which will be one of their biggest games of the season.
For the Hornets, Al Jefferson led the way with 22 points and 11 rebounds off the bench in 24 minutes. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist had 15 points, seven rebounds, and two assists in 23 minutes. Lance Stephenson scored 10 points on 5 of 10 from the field and included four rebounds and nine assists off the pine.
The Hornets got manhandled tonight and never got it going this game from start to finish. The Hornets are now 18-26 on the season but have playd well of late. They still have a really good chance at making the playoffs.