December 23rd - The Cavaliers defeated the Hornets 139-132 . For the Cavaliers, Mitchell scored 30 points , 4 rebounds , and 5 assists; Garland contributed 27 points, 5 rebounds , and 10 assists; and Hunter also scored 27 points. For the Hornets, Ball had 23 points and 9 assists, while Miller and Knipple each scored 20 points.

After the game started, the Cavaliers quickly found their rhythm and established a lead. However, the Hornets, orchestrated by Ball, repeatedly scored from beyond the arc and on fast breaks, successfully erasing the deficit and taking the lead. At the end of the first quarter, the Hornets led the Cavaliers 36-33 . In the second quarter, the Cavaliers' shooting was inconsistent at the start, allowing the Hornets to extend their lead to 6 points. Subsequently, the Cavaliers relied on Mitchell and Garland to continuously drive and pass the ball, enabling their teammates to take the lead and widen the gap. At halftime, the Cavaliers led 70-63 .

After switching sides, the Hornets narrowed the gap to just one point. In the crucial moments, the Cavaliers responded with consecutive fast breaks and outside shooting, going on a 13- point run to widen the gap again. At the end of the third quarter, the Cavaliers maintained a 104-95 lead. In the final quarter, the Cavaliers quickly extended their lead to 19 points at the start. Although the Hornets, led by Bridges and Ball, continued to close the gap to 7 points, the Cavaliers never gave their opponents a chance to recover. Ultimately, the Cavaliers defeated the Hornets 139-132.

Hornets player statistics

Ball had 23 points , 4 rebounds , and 9 assists; Knipple had 20 points , 1 rebound , and 2 assists; Miller had 20 points , 1 rebound , and 3 assists; Bridges had 17 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 assists; Mann had 13 points, 5 rebounds , and 3 assists; Green had 10 points , 1 rebound , and 1 assist; McNealy had 7 points , 1 rebound , and 1 assist; James had 7 points , 1 rebound , and 3 assists; Plumlee had 5 points and 5 rebounds .

Cavaliers player statistics

Mitchell 30 points, 4 rebounds , 5 assists; Garland 27 points , 5 rebounds , 10 assists; Hunter 27 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist; Wade 14 points , 7 rebounds, 2 assists ; Allen 12 points , 5 rebounds , 2 assists; Bryant 10 points , 1 rebound; Ball 6 points , 2 rebounds , 7 assists; Tomlin 5 points; Merrill 4 points , 1 rebound , 5 assists; Porter 2 points .