CHARLOTTE, NC--- The Cavaliers have fallen to the #4 seed in the eastern conference standings after a 118-111 loss to the Hornets in Charlotte. The Cavs started off very well, scoring a season high 43 in the first quarter, leading by as many as 14 thanks to 8 3 pointers, but in the 2nd half things started to fall apart..
The Cavs in the first half looked unstoppable, 60% from the filed and 62% from beyond the arc, this was thanks mainly to a returning Max Strus and the sharpshooter Sam Merrill, Strus scored 19 points after missing the previous 12 games, Sam Merrill scored 17 points, making 5 of his 11 attempted 3 pointers. The hoop looked like it tripled in size for the Cavs in the first half, and the team looked border line unstoppable, but something changed in the 2nd half, and that was the defense who let the Hornets creep to within 1 and eventually take the lead at 53-52 with 6:32 left in the first half after going on a 8-0 run in a whopping 46 seconds. Defense as a whole was lackluster in the 1st half for both teams, as there were a combined 139 points. The 2nd half would see the Cavs collapse, the defense continued to struggle, and they let the Hornets take control of the game down the stretch, as they would go on to win the 1st of their 8 straight home games 118-111. Top performers for the Cavs included Jarret Allen with 24 points and 8 rebounds, making 11 of his 14 field goal attempts, Darius Garland with 14 points and 12 assists, and Georges Naing with 14 points, making 4 of his 5 3 pointers attempted
The Cavs have less then 10 games left, heading down the stretch things need to change before the playoffs. The Cavs' next game is Friday night at home against the Philadelphia 76ers at 7:30 pm.