Cavaliers-Hornets Preview
After a strong start to a difficult home stretch, the New
Orleans Hornets couldn’t meet the challenge in their last two
games.
Things aren’t likely to be as tough in the finale Sunday night
against the injury-plagued Cleveland Cavaliers, who are mired in
their worst losing streak of the season.
The Hornets (25-48) lost to Golden State and beat Boston to open
this season-high seven-game homestand before facing four straight
games against four of the league’s top six teams record-wise. That
stretch began with victories over Memphis and Denver, which had
entered with a 15-game winning streak.
New Orleans, however, couldn’t keep its string of upsets going,
falling to the Los Angeles Clippers and Miami by a combined 33
points in its last two.
The Southwest Division-worst Hornets appeared to be in the wrong
place at the wrong time against the league-best Heat on Friday.
After having its 27-game win streak stopped two days earlier, Miami
made 60.9 percent from the field and 14 for 27 from 3-point range
on the way to a 108-89 victory.
“We could have pressed up in our man defense a little more,”
said forward Ryan Anderson, who led New Orleans with 20 points. “We
could have helped a little bit better.”
The Hornets had allowed 85.0 points per game on 41.7 percent
shooting over their three-game winning streak before giving up
averages of 106.5 points and 53.5 percent in their last two
losses.
They appear to have a decent chance at tightening things up
against a Cleveland team that has struggled on offense lately
without its starting backcourt – and top two scorers.
While Dion Waiters (sore knee) remains sidelined, star point
guard Kyrie Irving has been cleared to play in this game. Irving,
who had missed the previous eight games with a strained left
shoulder, is averaging a team-high 23.0 points despite missing 22
games overall.
Cleveland is going to be cautious with Irving for the final 11
games, and the guard will be inactive for Monday’s game versus
Atlanta as ”he takes the next steps in his recovery.”
Irving and Waiters combined for 51 points on 19-of-32 shooting
in a 105-100 home win over New Orleans on Feb. 20.
The injuries seem to have caught up with the team offensively.
Cleveland has averaged 85.7 points on 41.1 percent shooting –
including 15 for 55 from 3-point range – in its last three
games.
“I can’t worry about the guys who aren’t playing,” coach Byron
Scott said. “The biggest thing with us is we need six or seven guys
to play really well.”
C.J. Miles scored 19 points and Tyler Zeller added 14 and 10
rebounds Friday, but Cleveland dropped its season-high seventh
straight with a 97-87 loss to Philadelphia.
It doesn’t figure to get any easier for the Cavaliers on Sunday
considering they’ve lost 12 of 13 road contests against West
opponents.
The Hornets, however, may be short-handed as well. Point guard
Greivis Vasquez, who has missed two of the last three games with an
ankle injury, is expected to be a game-time decision.
Brian Roberts started those two games in place of Vasquez and
scored 13 points in each, but he had 18 assists in the win over
Denver and only five Friday.
The Hornets have won four of five at home in this series.
