Garland, Cavaliers Beat Hornets

The calendar has turned but the Cavaliers have remained dominant.

Cleveland got their first home victory of 2025 with a 115-105 win over the Charlotte Hornets at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse on Sunday. It was the team’s 10th consecutive win by double figures, a new franchise record. They are leaving nothing to chance. This is the second time in franchise history where the team has two separate 10-game winning streaks in a season (2008-09).

Coming off a four-game road trip where they made easy work of their Western Conference opposition, Sunday’s nights meeting could have been thought of as a trap game as the Charlotte Hornets were on an extended nine-game losing streak coming into the contest. But the Cavaliers did not take them lightly. They are just the eighth team in NBA history to start 31-4 or better.

“That’s definitely a trap game,” Cavs swingman Max Strus said. “But the way that we approach every day here, the way that our guys have come to work every single day, no matter what the scenario is, we just approach it with a championship mindset and take it one day at a time and one game at a time and treat each game like it’s the most important game. We did that today and took care of business.”

The Cavaliers held a small six-point lead 29-23, after the first twelve minutes, but as they have become accustomed to doing all season long, they went on a surge in the second quarter and could not be stopped to give them a commanding 24-point lead at one point.

While big man Jarrett Allen was a silent assassin in the paint with a 15-point first half on 7-of-7 from the field and eight boards, the real fireworks display was on the perimeter in a high-stakes chess match between two of the league’s premier young guards.

From the opening tip, the Cavaliers’ Darius Garland and the Hornets’ LaMelo Ball engaged in a animated duel that set the tone for the game.

“I love it,” Cavs coach Kenny Atkinson said. “It’s the NBA. I mean guys are competitive. It’s like you’re in the schoolyard and you’re competing against your opposition and guys talk a little trash, it didn’t get over the top. They’re both good spirited guys. I thought it added a little intrigue to the game. It is an entertainment league too, so I think the fans got a kick out of it.”

Garland, taking immense pride in his lockdown on-ball defense, covered Ball for 94 feet and made an early signature statement by denying an inbound pass and delivering a subtle shove that sent Ball sprawling onto the floor. It was the juice that ignited their back-and-forth battle.

As Cleveland began to separate themselves and assert control in the second quarter, Ball looked to put the team on his back.and take the game over. Recognizing the significant size mismatch, the 6-foot-7 Hornets guard attacked Garland with fury.

On one sequence, Ball used his length to rise over Garland for a mid-range jumper that bounced around the rim and through the net, prompting him to trot back on defense with a roar directed at his rival. His teammate had to redirect his focus back to his defensive assignment.

Garland, unrattled, responded immediately. He orchestrated a switch to isolate Ball, then unleashed a snatch-back dribble into a mid-range jump shot that left Ball off balance. Garland clapped emphatically as he sprinted back. Ball furiously waved for the ball in an attempt to get back ahead of Garland in the midst of their battle. He would miss the 3-pointer.

The chess match continued, with both guards competitive and trading blows but neither seizing a clear advantage, especially after Garland’s mid-range as the Hornets relinquished the opportunity for the Cavs’ point guard to get an isolation matchup with Ball.

“He tried to get like a one-on-one matchup, and he got like a little weak bucket. I went down, tried to get a little one-on-one matchup and they sent the double team,” Garland said of the back and forth. “It happened a couple times after that, so it wasn’t really a battle.”

Ball, leveraging his size, earned six of his 15 first-half points at the free-throw line, finishing with 24 points. Garland countered with four of his 13 points from the stripe, maintaining his composure as the Cavs built a commanding 15-point halftime lead.

Ball and Miller each missed the previous three games with left ankle injuries, but came back strong and combined for 28 of Charlotte’s 48 points in the first half. Ball is averaging 30.1 points and Miller is at 21.4.

The difference between the two teams was obvious. Cleveland’s offense flowed effortlessly like a waterfall, with crisp ball movement and unselfishness resulting in assists on 29 of their 44 made baskets. Meanwhile, Charlotte leaned heavily on isolation plays from Ball and Miller, creating just 19 assists as a team.

By the time the game was over, the Cavaliers had showcased their depth and balance, with five players scoring 15 or more points. Garland led the way with 25, outdueling Ball, while Allen and Mitchell added 19 apiece. Evan Mobley contributed 17, rounding out a cohesive offensive effort. Allen’s dominance extended to the boards, where he secured his 20th double-double of the season with 11 rebounds. Mobley, the only Cavalier to log more than 30 minutes, played a tempered 31 as Cleveland cruised to another convincing victory.

The Cavaliers will face a true test of their dominance on Wednesday as the Western Conference-leading Oklahoma City Thunder come to town at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. Eastern on ESPN, with Cleveland aiming to continue its impressive run against one of the league’s elite teams.

The Hornets return to the friendly confines to play Kevin Durant and the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday.