Brandon Miller’s career night, featuring a high of seven 3-pointers for a total of 31 points while shooting 11 of 19 from the floor and hauling in six rebounds. He led the Charlotte Hornets to a 118-111 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers during Wednesday’s NBA action.
This win marked a significant turnaround from their previous encounter, where the Hornets faced a 23-point defeat.
“He was big,” Hornets coach Steve Clifford said of Miller. “He made big plays and he got going in the second half. Another really good performance.”
The Cavaliers, however, found themselves on the losing end against one of the league’s bottom-ranked teams, a position that didn’t sit well with the team or its fans. Cleveland received various impressive scoring performance, including 24 from Jarrett Alleb, 19 from Max Strus, and 17 from Sam Merrill.
“You go through ups and downs during a season, and we definitely aren’t playing our best basketball right now,” Merrill said. “We’ve got to fix that, clearly. But we have also shown that we can play at a high level and we have nine games to get that back before the playoffs.”
NBA NEWS & SCORES: Brandon Miller, Charlotte Hornets, Jarrett Allen, Cleveland Cavaliers Updates
Cavs coach J.B. Bickerstaff expressed his frustration with the team’s mental approach to the game, emphasizing the importance of not underestimating any NBA team.
“Our attitude toward winning and losing was not where it needed to be,” Bickerstaff said. “We settled in the first quarter because we thought the game was going to be easy because we were scoring. … But they’re NBA players too, and if you give them confidence and you give them opportunity, it’s going to come back and bite you.”
The Hornets demonstrated resilience and teamwork, highlighted by a moment in the fourth quarter where persistence by Grant Williams on the offensive glass led to a dunk by Miller. This was part of a series of plays that shifted the game’s momentum in favor of Charlotte.
NBA NEWS & SCORES: Brandon Miller, Charlotte Hornets, Jarrett Allen, Cleveland Cavaliers Updates
Despite a late push by the Cavaliers, led by a 3-pointer from Darius Garland, the Hornets managed to secure the lead and ultimately the win, thanks to crucial plays by Miller and Miles Bridges. Cleveland’s inability to score in the game’s final minutes sealed their fate.
Miller’s performance not only secured the win but also tied him with the franchise rookie record for 3s in a game, a feat he humbly connected to the team’s overall success.
“I wasn’t aware, I was just happy that we got the win,” Miller said. “With being on a losing streak, I think a win like this can start something great and we’ll try to build off this.”
The Cavaliers will host the 76ers, and the Hornets will host the Warriors, both on Friday night.
