November 8, 2026 at 4:27 AM UTC

Pregame Analysis

Cavaliers Look to Steady Themselves Against a Hornets Team in Free Fall

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Cleveland is banged up, but Charlotte's slump and uncertain backcourt health give the Cavaliers the edge.

This page is the pregame analysis. The box score is the main page for the game, and the matchup history collects every meeting between these teams.

Charlotte's biggest question is whether Brandon Miller plays. Its best player left the Boston game with a groin injury, and coach Charles Lee said the team would evaluate him over the weekend and have more information Monday, the day of this game. Kon Knueppel has also missed significant time. If Miller is out, the Hornets could be without their top scorers against a Cleveland defense that will not have to chase many reliable shot-creators.

The Hornets arrive in poor form. They lost 119-80 at home to Boston, a 39-point defeat that left them 0-2 in NBA Cup East Group C with a minus-55 point differential. They are 3-7 overall. A team losing by that kind of margin has to show it can recover quickly, and the injury uncertainty makes that harder.

Cleveland is hardly healthy either. Jarrett Allen is out with a right knee contusion, and Sam Merrill, Jaylon Tyson and Nae'Qwan Tomlin are also sidelined. The Cavaliers have been inconsistent, including back-to-back losses to Oklahoma City, and Allen's injury came in the second of those. This game also opens a three-game road trip, following a congested stretch that included a Nov. 6 Cup win over LeBron James and the 76ers and a rematch with the Knicks, who swept them in last season's East finals. Donovan Mitchell has been the one leading Cleveland's scoring, and he gives the Cavaliers a dependable offensive anchor.

This is not a comfortable spot for Cleveland, since the frontcourt is thin and the schedule is heavy. Still, Charlotte's slump, its lopsided Cup loss and the doubt around Miller point toward a Cavaliers road win. Expect Mitchell to carry the offense and Cleveland to pull away late in a game that stays competitive for a while.

Prediction: Cavaliers 114, Hornets 105.

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