Miles Bridges had a double-double, 25 points and 10 rebounds, in a much needed win for the Hornets against the Cavaliers on Friday night, 108-102. P.J. Washington and Terry Rozier each had 25 points. Devonte Graham contributed with 8 points and 10 assists for Charlotte, who had lost six of their last seven games.
Cleveland Cavaliers’ point guard Collin Sexton had a game high 28 points and Darius Garland added 27, but it wasn’t enough to overtake the Hornets at the end of the game.
The Cavaliers started the first quarter with a couple of field goals, but both teams struggled offensively. At the end of the quarter, Charlotte had a slight lead, 22-20.
The Hornets couldn’t stop the Cavaliers in the second quarter, giving up easy baskets to their big men. They also gave up layups to their perimeter players, especially Sexton. Bridges and Washington tried to keep the Hornets afloat in the first half, but they were still lacking some depth. The Cavaliers went on an extended 11-0 run toward the end of the quarter. At halftime, the Cavaliers had a 55-48 lead.
At the beginning of the third quarter, both teams came out on fire. Charlotte hit shots from the perimeter to make the game closer, while the Cavaliers got their baskets from inside. Charlotte slowly fought back with Washington hitting a tough jump-shot tying the game at the end of three.
Graham took an offensive foul from Sexton in the beginning stages of the fourth quarter, sending Sexton to the sideline with five personal fouls. Washington scored five quick points to get Charlottes’ offense going in the quarter. The Hornets went on a four minute drought from the field, while the Cavs scored seven straight points. Rozier had an impactful 3-point play to stop the bleeding. The Hornets scored 15 points in the next few minutes to take control of the game. Bridges scored 7 straight point to give the Hornets a double figure lead. They played the foul game in the final seconds and got the victory.
This was a crucial win for the Hornets. They play the Boston Celtics in a nationally televised game on Sunday afternoon. It’s going to be tough because the Celtics have a lot of young talent.
