Cleveland Cavaliers to match 9-game win streak against Charlotte Hornets’ 9-game skid
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Cleveland Cavaliers guard Caris LeVert makes a circus shot over Dallas Mavericks guard Jaden Hardy during the second half at American Airlines Centre.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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CLEVELAND – No team have been able to stop the Cleveland Cavaliers in the National Basketball Association (NBA) of late, making them astronomical favourites for their game on Jan 5 (Jan 6, Singapore time).
The NBA-best Cavaliers, on a nine-game winning streak, will be playing at home against the struggling Charlotte Hornets, who are on a nine-game losing streak.
“It’s a resilient group,” Cleveland coach Kenny Atkinson said of his side.
“It’s a group that’s together. They have such a belief right now, it’s like an expectation (to win every game).”
While the Cavaliers have just four losses this season with 30 wins, the Hornets have experienced victory just seven times and lost 26 times.
Cleveland, coming off a 4-0 road stretch against Western Conference teams that ended with a 134-122 win in Dallas on Jan 3, will play at home for the first time since Dec 23.
Charlotte’s woes continued with a 98-94 setback at Detroit on the same night, when a 13-point half-time lead was wiped away before the beginning of the fourth quarter.
“We did a good job just competing, but when they picked up their pressure and their physicality, we kinda backed down a little bit,” Hornets forward Miles Bridges said. “We can’t do that. So, do better.”
Charlotte have lost 17 of their past 18 games.
Bridges has been their top scorer in each of the past three games, but he has gone above 20 points only once in those outings.
The burden on him is heavy, as he has also been the team’s leader in assists for three straight games, while his streak of topping the team’s rebounding chart is at four games.
“I just love the competitiveness from him, the never quit and always fighting mentality that he has,” Charlotte coach Charles Lee said of Bridges.
“He’s always thinking about how can he impact the game, impact winning. That’s what I love and appreciate about him.”
The Cavaliers will present difficult defensive assignments for the Hornets.
“We have a lot of natural connectors, guys who can really pass the ball,” Atkinson added.
“And our best players can pass. You kind of have to have that selfless mentality. That’s kind of where we are. We have the skill to pass, but we have the willingness to pass.”
The game will be the third meeting of the season between the teams. Cleveland won 128-114 on Nov 17 at home and then claimed a 116-102 road victory on Dec 7.
Evan Mobley poured in a career-high 41 points for the Cavaliers in the most recent meeting with Charlotte.
Hornets guard LaMelo Ball had a team-best 31 points in the first game, while Brandon Miller led Charlotte with 25 points in the second matchup.
They have been out with injuries recently, complicating matters on offence.
Lee did not rule them out for this clash, but their returns seem unlikely. REUTERS
