Darius Garland returned. The Cavaliers remain missing.
Terry Rozier scored 29 points and carried Charlotte's backcourt with LaMelo Ball in foul trouble, leading the Hornets to a 119-98 win on Wednesday night over a Cleveland team sliding and looking for answers.
The Cavaliers lost for the fifth time in six games, and suddenly a surprising season has turned sour.
“We're not playing the same way we did in the first half of the season,” said Garland, who has been slowed by a back bruise. “We've got to get back to that. We're playing soft. We're giving up 38 points in a quarter, that happened twice this week — that's unacceptable.