Cavaliers Earn 10th Straight Win With Victory Over Hornets

Cleveland earned its 14th win in its last 15 games with a 115-105 victory over Charlotte on Sunday night.

Jan 5, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen (31) shoots beside Charlotte Hornets center Mark Williams (5) in the fourth quarter at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-Imagn Images / David Richard-Imagn Images

On Sunday night, the Cleveland Cavaliers played their first home game of the new year, returning from a perfect 4-0 Western Conference road trip.

And the Wine and Gold picked up right where they left off, defeating the Charlotte Hornets by a final score of 115-105.

With the victory, Cleveland earned its 10th straight win and 14th in its last 15 games.

The Hornets held an 18-16 lead just over halfway through the first quarter. However, this would be the visitors' only advantage of the night. This was because a 9-0 Cavaliers run put the Wine and Gold ahead not just 25-18, but for the remainder of the contest.

Cleveland outscored Charlotte 63-48 in the first half, shooting 25-for-51 (49.0%) from the field and holding the opposition to just 16-for-42 (38.1%) shooting.

Individually, Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen had an impressive first half. The 26-year-old recorded 15 points, nine rebounds, and a block on a perfect 7-for-7 shooting in just 16 minutes of action. He ended up tallying his 20th double-double of the season, finishing the game with 19 points, 11 rebounds, two assists, and two blocks on 9-for-10 (90%) shooting.

Jan 5, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen (31) shoots beside Charlotte Hornets center Mark Williams (5) in the fourth quarter at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-Imagn Images / David Richard-Imagn Images

Overall, 29 of the Wine and Gold's 44 made field goals were assisted. Caris LeVert (six), Ty Jerome (five), Donovan Mitchell (four), and Max Strus (four) each dished out at least four assists for Cleveland.

Additionally, Darius Garland scored a game-high 25 points, shooting 8-for-16 (50%) from the field, 4-for-7 (57.1%) from three-point range, and a perfect 5-for-5 from the free throw line.

Up next, the NBA-best 31-4 Cavaliers will continue their four-game homestand against the Western Conference-leading 30-5 Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday, Jan. 8 at 7 p.m.