No one has been able to stop the Cleveland Cavaliers as of late, making them astronomical favorites for their game on Sunday night.
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. It’s a group that’s together,” Cleveland coach Kenny Atkinson said. “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, the Hornets have experienced victory just seven times.
Cleveland, coming off a 4-0 road stretch against Western Conference teams that ended with a 134-122 win in Dallas on Friday night, will play at home for the first time since Dec. 23. Evan Mobley racked up 34 points against the Mavericks.
Charlotte’s woes continued with a 98-94 setback against the host Detroit Pistons on Friday night, when a 13-point halftime 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.”
In addition to their nine-game skid, the Hornets have lost 17 of their past 18 games.
Bridges has been Charlotte’s top scorer in each of the past three games, though he has gone above 20 points only once in those outings. The burden on Bridges 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, âHow can I impact the game, impact winning,’ and that’s what I love and appreciate about him.”
Bridges said team improvements need to include areas other than offense, and he also called each game a learning experience.
“Sticking to our defensive schemes, not letting the pressure get to us,” Bridges said.
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 said. “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 on Sunday 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.
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 against the Cavaliers, while Brandon Miller led Charlotte with 25 points in the second matchup. They’ve been out with injuries recently, which has dramatically complicated matters on offense.
Lee didn’t rule them out for this weekend, but their returns seem unlikely.
“LaMelo has gone through some of the team activities that we’ve had,” Lee said Friday. “He’s making some good progress. … Brandon, same story. He’s done some of the team activities and making good progress.”
