Down by as many as 16 points and without Jarrett Allen due to injury, the Cleveland Cavaliers rallied to defeat the Charlotte Hornets, 114-108, and earned their 14th win after trailing by double-digits.
Darius Garland scored a game-high 28 points, and led the Cavs to a brief 49-48 lead in the second quarter before the Hornets pulled away for a 59-52 halftime lead. Throughout much of the second half, the Cavs mounted several runs to get within one point, but continued getting repelled until late. With key turnovers and clutch shots, the Cavs outscored the Hornets 33-19 in the fourth quarter, led by Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley who each scored 10 in the frame. Mitchell finished with 23 points while Mobley finished with 18. Off the bench, Caris LeVert scored 15 points while Ricky Rubio chipped in 11.
Despite the comeback, the Cavs were out-rebounded, 43-40, collected fewer assists (25 to 18), and made just seven three-pointers. For the Hornets, each starter scored at least 14 points, led by Terry Rozier with 28 points and P.J. Washington with 19. However, the Cavs scored 29 points off of 19 turnovers while allowing 16 points off 10 turnovers.
The Cavs improve to 43-27 and remain in fourth place in the Eastern Conference: three games ahead of the fifth-place Brooklyn Nets and 3.5 games behind the third-place Philadelphia 76ers. Before returning to Cleveland, the Cavs will finish their four-game road trip with a rematch against the Hornets in Charlotte on Tuesday at 7:00 PM.