It was not pretty, and oftentimes frustrating, but the Cleveland Cavaliers survived a scare and erased a 16-point deficit to defeat the Charlotte Hornets 114-108 to win the first game of a back-to-back. Darius Garland led the way with 28 points, while Donovan Mitchell added 23 points.
The Absence of Jarrett Allen
The Cavs were without center Jarrett Allen due to a facial injury he suffered last game against the Miami Heat, and his presence (or lack thereof) was certainly felt. Evan Mobley played center in Allen’s place and got into foul issues early, had a weird offensive game where he shot 2-8 in the first half, and oddly had trouble with Hornets backup Nick Richards.