On January 6th, Beijing time, in an NBA regular season game, the Cavaliers defeated the Hornets 115-105 to secure their 10th consecutive victory. The Cavaliers took the lead from the start and by halftime had extended it to 15 points. After the third quarter, the Hornets only managed to close the gap by 2 points, but in the final quarter, the Cavaliers firmly controlled the game, ultimately securing their 31st win of the season and maintaining the best record in the league. Coach Atkinson has truly built the strongest offensive team in the league.
In the opening quarter, both Mitchell and Mobley of the Cavaliers were not feeling their best, with Mitchell scoring 2 points on 1 of 2 shooting and Mobley also scoring 2 points on 1 of 2 shooting. Garland scored 7 points on 3 of 7 shooting, and Allen scored 6 points with 3 rebounds on perfect 3 of 3 shooting. Because these four players did not have any explosive performances, the Hornets were able to keep up with the Cavaliers in the first quarter, with Ball scoring 7 points and Miller scoring 8 points.
In the second quarter, Mitchell went scoreless on 0 of 2 shooting, Garland made only 1 of 3 shots in the quarter, and Mobley made 2 of 4 shots in the quarter. However, Allen became the main attacking point, scoring 9 points with 6 rebounds and 1 block on perfect 4 of 4 shooting. The bench players LeVert, Niang, and Strus became super subs, helping the Cavaliers to a 34-25 run that widened the gap. The Hornets still relied mainly on the offense of Ball and Miller.
In the third quarter, Mitchell finally found his rhythm, scoring 9 points with 2 assists on 4 of 7 shooting. Garland scored 8 points on perfect 3 of 3 shooting, including 2 of 2 from three-point range. Mobley added 4 points, and after the backcourt duo of the Cavaliers exploded, they stabilized the situation. Even though Smith of the Hornets had already scored 14 points by the end of the third quarter and both Ball and Miller had scored over 20 points, the Cavaliers still managed to further increase their lead.
In the final quarter, Mitchell scored 8 points in just 4 minutes, and Garland also scored 4 points in 4 minutes. The Cavaliers sealed the game with a decisive run, after which the Hornets replaced their starters, and the Cavaliers did the same. The starters waited on the sidelines for the arrival of their 10th consecutive victory.
In the entire game, Mitchell scored 19 points with 4 assists, Garland scored 25 points with 3 rebounds, Mobley scored 17 points with 5 rebounds, Allen scored 19 points with 11 rebounds, and Niang scored 10 points.
Written by Yan Xiaobai: Cavaliers Observer