Anderson and the Hornets finally break their losing streak: Cavs suffer a humiliating defeat

The Charlotte Hornets have finally broken their losing streak. Against the Cleveland Cavaliers, Coach Charles Lee’s team secured a victory after six consecutive defeats, with Christian Anderson Jr. in particular earning praise for his performance.

The NBA’s worst offence, six defeats in a row. The odds were stacked against the Hornets, who were once again without five key players: Brandon Miller, Kon Knueppel, Moussa Diabate, Dennis Schröder and Grant Williams. But against Cleveland, they finally broke their losing streak; as a team, the Hornets sank 23 out of 46 three-pointers and finally started hitting the open three-pointers they’d consistently missed in recent games.

In the second and third quarters combined, the Hornets scored 78 points – just two fewer than they had managed in 48 minutes against Boston. Fifteen three-pointers helped them build a lead of up to 33 points. Grayson Allen led the team with 27 points (6/12 3P), whilst Naz Reid (25, 13 rebounds) contributed a double-double.

The Cavs, by contrast, looked worryingly lethargic. Although they shot 51 per cent from the field, they lost the battle on the offensive board 4–17. The starters were not used in the fourth quarter, even though the second string, led by rookie Maleek Thomas, managed to reduce the deficit to eight points with just under four minutes remaining (118–110). However, centre Ryan Kalkbrenner (8 points, 15 rebounds, 3 blocks) and Royce O’Neale from beyond the arc then nipped any hopes of a comeback in the bud.

Cavs disappoint across the board

Christian Anderson Jr. also joined in the hosts’ three-point party; the playmaker sank three of his four three-pointers and set a new career-high with nine points in 16 minutes off the bench. Hannes Steinbach scored two points and grabbed three rebounds in 13 minutes, but struggled defensively.

The Cavs’ star players, by contrast, were a disappointment across the board; neither James Harden (11, 3/9) nor Donovan Mitchell (11, 4/11) nor Evan Mobley (9) ever managed to make their mark on the game. With this victory, Charlotte (4-7) moves up to ninth in the East, whilst Cleveland (5-6) remains seventh despite having a losing record. The Hornets now embark on a road trip to the West Coast with stops in Phoenix, at both L.A. teams, and finally back in their own conference in Atlanta.