CLEVELAND (AP) — Rookie Kon Knueppel scored 29 points, Brandon Miller added 25 and the Charlotte Hornets shut out Cleveland in overtime on their way to a rare road victory, 119-111 over the Cavaliers on Sunday.
Knueppel, the No. 4 overall selection this year in the NBA draft, had his second straight strong performance after scoring a season-high 33 in a loss to Chicago on Friday night. Miller added a career-high 13 rebounds and six assists.
Miles Bridges had 20 points, 10 rebounds and six assists as Charlotte improved to just 3-10 away from home.
The Cavaliers missed all 10 shots in the five-minute overtime and Cleveland suffered another troubling loss for a team expected to contend for the Eastern Conference title.
Darius Garland scored 26 points and Donovan Mitchell added 17 for the Cavs, who have been plagued by inconsistency in the season’s first two months.
Jaylon Tyson had 16 points and 13 rebounds for Cleveland, which has lost six of nine.
The Cavs were down 17 in the third but rallied to tie it in the final seconds of regulation. Mitchell had a chance to win it in the last second, but the All-Star guard, coming off a 48-point game at Washington on Friday, missed a 12-foot jumper.
Following his misfire, Mitchell dejectedly covered his face while resting it on the scorer’s table.
Injuries have played a role in the Cavaliers’ problems. They were without another key piece as forward Evan Mobley sat out with a strained left calf that could keep the league’s reigning Defensive Player of the Year out for a month.
While Cleveland’s play of late has worrisome, coach Kenny Atkinson remains optimistic, saying before the game “the sky isn’t falling. We’re going to be all right.”
The Hornets were missing guards LaMelo Ball, Collin Sexton and Tre Mann due to injuries.
Up next
Hornets: Host Atlanta on Thursday night.
Cavaliers: At Chicago on Wednesday night.
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AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba
Tom Withers, The Associated Press
