The Cleveland Cavaliers have had some rough stretches lately, but they found the right formula against the Charlotte Hornets.
Now it’s a matter of repeating it.
The teams meet for the second time in three nights when they clash Wednesday in Charlotte.
The Cavaliers (44-28) are trying to get into the right groove with the postseason just a few weeks away.
The Cavaliers ended a three-game losing streak with Monday’s night’s 115-92 home romp. That didn’t surprise Bickerstaff because he has maintained belief in the team.
The Cavaliers have gone three consecutive games without a player on their team reaching the 20-point mark. But that doesn’t really seem to matter a whole lot.
The Hornets (17-54), owners of a five-game losing streak, are coming off an 0-4 road swing. Just getting back on their homecourt could be a plus.
Wednesday’s game will come after Charlotte played 13 of 17 games on the road.
Dealing with the Cavaliers in the lane and around the basket is a challenge.
The Cavaliers are playing with some intensity, even if it has developed into certain problems. Forward Marcus Morris Sr. was ejected from Monday night’s game because of a rough foul on Hornets center Nick Richards.
Cleveland forward Evan Mobley said the team is aware of the urgency of getting up to speed by the time the playoffs begin.
In Monday’s game, it stayed close until the Cavaliers started executing on offense with greater efficiency.
The Hornets received 24 points from rookie Brandon Miller. He seems to be remaining strong even at the end of his first NBA season, scoring 20 or more points in five of Charlotte’s 11 games so far this month.
Miller was 5-for-5 on free throws Monday, matching his largest number of free throw attempts across a 16-game span.
