Charlotte Hornets at Cleveland Cavaliers
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Knueppel scores 29 points, Miller has 25 in Hornets' 119-111 OT win over Cavaliers
Knueppel, the No. 4 overall selection this year in the NBA draft, had his second straight strong performance after scoring a season-high 33 in a loss to Chicago on Friday night. Miller added a career-high 13 rebounds and six assists.
Miles Bridges had 20 points, 10 rebounds and six assists as Charlotte improved to just 3-10 away from home.
The Cavaliers missed all 10 shots in the five-minute overtime and Cleveland suffered another troubling loss for a team expected to contend for the Eastern Conference title.
Darius Garland scored 26 points and Donovan Mitchell added 17 for the Cavs, who have been plagued by inconsistency in the season's first two months.
Jaylon Tyson had 16 points and 13 rebounds for Cleveland, which has lost six of nine.
The Cavs were down 17 in the third but rallied to tie it in the final seconds of regulation. Mitchell had a chance to win it in the last second, but the All-Star guard, coming off a 48-point game at Washington on Friday, missed a 12-foot jumper.
Following his misfire, Mitchell dejectedly covered his face while resting it on the scorer's table.
Injuries have played a role in the Cavaliers' problems. They were without another key piece as forward Evan Mobley sat out with a strained left calf that could keep the league's reigning Defensive Player of the Year out for a month.
While Cleveland's play of late has worrisome, coach Kenny Atkinson remains optimistic, saying before the game “the sky isn't falling. We're going to be all right.”
The Hornets were missing guards LaMelo Ball, Collin Sexton and Tre Mann due to injuries.
Cavaliers: At Chicago on Wednesday night.
Regular Season Series
CHA leads series 1-0
Recent Plays
| 5th 0.0 | ![]() |
End of Game | 119 - 111 |
| 5th 0.0 | ![]() |
End of the 1st Overtime | 119 - 111 |
| 5th 1.9 | ![]() |
Brandon Miller defensive rebound | 119 - 111 |
| 5th 5.7 | ![]() |
Darius Garland misses 25-foot three point jumper | 119 - 111 |
| 5th 8.3 | ![]() |
Kon Knueppel makes free throw 2 of 2 | 119 - 111 |
Statistics
CHA |
CLE |
|
|---|---|---|
| 43-98 | FG | 38-95 |
| 44 | Field Goal % | 40 |
| 17-44 | 3PT | 12-38 |
| 39 | Three Point % | 32 |
| 16-21 | FT | 23-29 |
| 76 | Free Throw % | 79 |
| 53 | Rebounds | 46 |
| 12 | Offensive Rebounds | 13 |
| 41 | Defensive Rebounds | 33 |
| 28 | Assists | 27 |
| 9 | Steals | 10 |
| 7 | Blocks | 3 |
| 16 | Turnovers | 14 |
| 2 | Team Turnovers | 0 |
| 18 | Total Turnovers | 14 |
| 1 | Technical Fouls | 0 |
| 1 | Total Technical Fouls | 0 |
| 0 | Flagrant Fouls | 0 |
| 18 | Points Conceded Off Turnovers | 26 |
| 14 | Fast Break Points | 8 |
| 50 | Points in Paint | 50 |
| 26 | Fouls | 24 |
| 17 | Largest Lead | 5 |
| 5 | Lead Changes | 5 |
| 88 | Percent Led | 5 |
Cleveland Cavaliers Injuries
| NAME, POS | STATUS | DATE |
|---|---|---|
| Sam Merrill, G | Out | Jan 22 |
| Darius Garland, G | Out | Jan 18 |
| Max Strus, G | Out | Jan 6 |
Charlotte Hornets Injuries
| NAME, POS | STATUS | DATE |
|---|---|---|
| Grant Williams, F | Day-To-Day | Jan 23 |
| KJ Simpson, G | Day-To-Day | Jan 23 |
| Tre Mann, G | Day-To-Day | Jan 23 |
| Mason Plumlee, C | Out | Dec 31 |
Game Information
Location: Cleveland, OH
Attendance: 19,432 · Capacity:
2025-26 Southeast Standings
| TEAM | W | L | PCT | GB | STRK |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Orlando |
23 | 20 | .535 | - | L2 |
Miami |
23 | 22 | .511 | 1 | L1 |
Atlanta |
21 | 25 | .457 | 3.5 | W1 |
Charlotte |
17 | 28 | .378 | 7 | W1 |
Washington |
10 | 33 | .233 | 13 | L8 |
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