Recap: Hornets 109, Cavaliers 106 (or, some good in the bad)

The Cleveland Cavaliers looked to start the new year with their fifth victory in their last seven games. Facing off  at home against a Hornets team they had beaten two weeks earlier, it seemed like they had a good chance of improving on their 9-5 record against teams with losing records.

First Quarter

The Cavs started the game with a thunderous block by Tristan Thompson on Bismack Biyombo, and followed it up with a pair of free throws by Kevin Love. Those plays were big early as neither team as able to put the ball in the basket for the next few minutes. Collin Sexton broke the dry spell with a corner three off an assist by Darius Garland. The Cavaliers did a nice job of moving the ball, and got out to the early lead as the Hornets struggled at both ends of the floor. They also let the Cavaliers get hot from deep, as Osman, Love, and Garland all connected from three. The Hornets began to score inside on drives by P.J. Washington and Cody Zeller as they erased the Cavaliers’ lead. The Cavaliers’ bench couldn’t generate any offense, and the team’s turnover problems reared their ugly head as the Hornets took a 31-29 lead at the end of the quarter.

Flex if you're 4-4 from the field.@cediosman | #BeTheFight pic.twitter.com/NBgDQPo3zX

— Cleveland Cavaliers (@cavs) January 3, 2020

Second Quarter

The Cavaliers went away from Matthew Dellavedova and with Dante Exum to start the quarter as they quickly regained the lead. John Henson did a nice job of deterring the Hornets at the rim, and the Cavs started the quarter on a 15-2 run to take control back. Exum did a nice job of using his length to get to the rim. The Cavs continued to struggle with turnovers, but the Hornets were unable to capitalize. The Hornets only had five points in the first six minutes of the quarter, and would have had even fewer if not for a pair of careless fouls by Kevin Porter Jr. that sent the Hornets to the line twice. The Cavaliers continued to turn the ball over with constant traveling, allowing the Hornets to stay in the game. The Hornets continued to attack the rim in transition as the Cavaliers offered little resistance, and often fouled when they did. Luckily for Cleveland, the Hornets’ defense was even worse, and the Cavaliers began to score inside as they took a 59-52 lead at the half. Of some concern was the fact that Terry Rozier began to heat up to close the half, much like he did when he nearly carried the Hornets to a win in Cleveland two weeks ago.

Third Quarter

Both teams played at a slower tempo to start the second half, but were still able to get what they wanted on offense. Garland and Osman did a nice job of attacking the basket for the Cavaliers, while Rozier continued to heat up for the Hornets. Threes by Rozier and Devonte’ Graham cut the Cavaliers’ lead to one as the Hornets went to a zone on defense. Collin Sexton continued his resurgence from three as he canned his third of the night. The Cavaliers stayed calm running their offense, and were able to bust up the Hornets’ zone. Still, the Hornets continued to attack the paint, and began to heat up from three as well, tying the game on a three by Washington. A tip shot by Dwayne Bacon gave the Hornets the lead as the Cavaliers continued to struggle on defense. To their credit, the Cavs remained focused and moved the ball on the offense end, and the Hornets had a few turnovers themselves as the Cavaliers took an 85-82 lead into the final frame.

Fourth Quarter

Porter was more aggressive to start the quarter, finishing a layup and getting to the line to split a pair of freebies. Henson continued to deter the Hornets at the rim, and Garland and Exum found him for a pair of dunks on drive and dishes. Rozier drained a three to keep the Cavs from pulling away. The Cavalier second unit continued to attack the rim as Henson hit a jump hook and Exum had an exciting slam in transition. Unfortunately, Henson then fouled Rozier on a three and Scary Terry hit all of his freebies to cut into the Cavaliers’ lead. Love countered with a basket of his own, but Porter continued his rough defensive night by sending Graham to the line. From there, the Cavaliers went cold while Rozier and Washington scored eight straight points to tie the game at 100. Sexton stopped the bleeding with another three, but Rozier came right back with one of his own. Graham then was able to get Love switched onto him and canned a deep three on Love as Sexton ran out to help on defense. The Cavs couldn’t get the shot they wanted and had to foul Graham to put him on the line. He hit both freebies to put the Hornets up five. Osman hit a three to pull within two, and the Hornets seemed to throw the ball out of bounds, but the officials ruled that Hornets coach James Borrego called a time out before the turnover. Rozier then split a pair of free throws, and Sexton just missed a long three as time expired as the Hornets came away with the 109-106 victory.

Things I Noticed

Turnovers continue to be an issue for the Cavaliers, and they were a big reason they lost the game tonight. Still, struggles in that area are probably to be expected. Most of the ball handlers on the team are young players, and young players typically turn the ball over a lot when they have that kind of role.

That's our rook!

📺 #CavsHornets on @FOXSportsCLE pic.twitter.com/28krh82ZR8

— Cleveland Cavaliers (@cavs) January 3, 2020

Darius Garland is really starting to come into his own as a scorer. He’s attacking the basket more and using his floater less, and when he does go to it, the floater is starting to fall. His shooting from three remains solid. Garland has gotten better throughout the season, which is what you want to see from a rookie.

It was nice to see Sexton hit those threes tonight. He’s done a nice job of attacking the basket the past few weeks, but how he shoots from deep will play a big role in determining his upside as a player.

Osman and Porter both had solid games on offense as well. While I think Real Plus-Minus overrates Cedi due to the Cavaliers not having another small forward in their rotation, and Porter still makes plenty of rookie mistakes, that’s still a nice young duo at the wing positions for the Cavaliers.

Speaking of young players, P.J. Washington looks like a find for the Hornets. He does a great job of using his size, speed, and shooting to score efficiently, regardless of who’s guarding him.

Welcome to The Land, @daanteee! 👌

📺 #CavsHornets on @FOXSportsCLE pic.twitter.com/81j2J9fowM

— Cleveland Cavaliers (@cavs) January 3, 2020

I may be in the minority on this, but I’m pretty intrigued by Dante Exum. More than anything, the Cavaliers need to add long perimeter players who can guard multiple positions, and Exum fits the bill. Yes, they lose some offense with Jordan Clarkson going to Utah, but giving his shots to younger players makes a lot of sense. While Exum hasn’t developed the way the Jazz wanted him to, it’s hard for a player to work on their game and rehab from constant injuries at the same time. He’s still just 24 years old, and if he can stay healthy, Exum could become a nice rotation player for the Cavs for years to come.

I can’t remember the last time I saw a player lose his ability to shoot from deep the way Matthew Dellavedova has. Delly has never been able to score near the basket (he’s actually shooting a career high on two-point attempts), but his shooting from deep and ability to run the offense made him a passable offensive player. I understand why John Beilein plays him over Brandon Knight (who isn’t a point guard and might be even more cooked), but Dellavedova simply isn’t a rotation player anymore. John Beilein went with Dante Exum over Dellavedova in the second quarter, and Exum should probably play in the backup point guard spot with Alfonzo McKinnie (or a healthy Dylan Windler) on the wing going forward. As for Delly, hopefully he can rediscover his shot, or his time in the league could be running out.

It was a tough loss in a game that the Cavaliers probably should have won. Still, there were a lot of positives from the young players on offense. They’ll be back in action Saturday night as the Oklahoma City Thunder come to town.