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The Cleveland Cavaliers joined an elite group of NBA teams by starting their season 15–0, following a 128–114 victory over the Charlotte Hornets on Sunday. The win scripted history as they become only the 4th NBA team to start their season with 15-0 mark.
Cleveland played without their leading scorer, Donovan Mitchell, who was sidelined for rest, according to the NBA injury report. Mitchell has been averaging 24.6 points per game and shooting 42% from beyond the arc this season.'
Elite 4
With this win, the Cavs matched the remarkable starts of the 1948-49 Washington Capitols (15-0), the 1993-94 Houston Rockets (15-0), and the 2015-16 Golden State Warriors (24-0). All three of these teams eventually made it to the NBA Finals, though only the Rockets went on to win the championship.
Mitch's replacement
In Mitchell's absence, Ty Jerome stepped into the starting lineup and continued his strong play off the bench, contributing 24 points (hitting 4 of 7 from three) along with eight assists.
"Ty's played great. He's earned that. Complete confidence. He gives us another ball handler too. It's more about him playing great on both ends right now," said Cavs coach Kenny Atkinson before the game.
Darius Garland led the team with 25 points and 12 assists, while Evan Mobley added 23 points and 11 rebounds. Jarrett Allen chipped in with 21 points and 15 rebounds, taking advantage of Cleveland's size in the frontcourt. Both Garland and Allen went a perfect 9 for 9 from the free-throw line.
Cavs made use of crunch moments
The Cavs got off to a fast start, outscoring the Hornets 38–28 in the first quarter, helped by Jerome’s 10-point effort. By halftime, Cleveland led 72–59. However, Charlotte made a strong push in the third quarter, using their three-point shooting to close the gap to 82–79, and kept the game competitive in the second half. The Hornets launched 52 three-point attempts, converting 39% of them.
LaMelo Ball, fresh off a $100,000 fine for using an anti-gay term in a postgame interview, led Charlotte with 31 points and 12 assists, though he struggled with his three-point shooting (5 of 15). Miles Bridges added 19 points, eight rebounds, and eight assists, while Josh Green, Brandon Miller (3 for 12 from three), and Grant Williams each scored 15 points. Despite the strong individual performances, the Hornets fell to 5–8 on the season.
What's next
Looking ahead, the Cavs face their toughest test of the season so far on Tuesday against the 11–3 Boston Celtics at TD Garden. The two teams met in the playoffs last season, with Boston advancing past Cleveland in the Eastern Conference semifinals, 4-1.
