Through 3 Quarters

Down five at the end of last quarter, the Charlotte Hornets have now snagged the lead. They currently hold a 92-89 lead over the Cleveland Cavaliers. Charlotte has been led by small forward Kelly Oubre Jr., who so far has 22 points.

The Hornets have been riding high on the performance of Oubre Jr., who has 22 points. Oubre Jr. hadn't helped his team much against the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday, so this is a nice turnaround for him.

Charlotte has a habit of keeping things close this season; the team played one games decided by three or less. Maybe they will pull away, but we predict a narrow margin.

Who's Playing

Charlotte @ Cleveland

Current Records: Charlotte 1-0; Cleveland 0-1

What to Know

The Charlotte Hornets will square off against the Cleveland Cavaliers on the road at 7 p.m. ET Friday at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Charlotte is expected to win -- but not by much -- so they will need to come into the game prepared for a fight.

The Hornets escaped with a win on Wednesday against the Indiana Pacers by the margin of a single free throw, 123-122. The victory came about thanks to a strong surge after the half to overcome a 75-59 deficit. Among those leading the charge for Charlotte was LaMelo Ball, who shot 7-for-9 from beyond the arc and finished with 31 points, seven assists and nine rebounds.

Meanwhile, the Cavaliers ended up a good deal behind the Memphis Grizzlies when they played on Wednesday, losing 132-121. A silver lining for Cleveland was the play of Jarrett Allen, who had 25 points along with three blocks.

Charlotte's win lifted them to 1-0 while Cleveland's defeat dropped them down to 0-1. After the lofty point totals in their previous games, we'll see if they're able to heat things up even more while facing each other.

How To Watch

  • When: Friday at 7 p.m. ET
  • Where: Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse -- Cleveland, Ohio
  • TV: Bally Sports SE Charlotte
  • Online streaming: fuboTV (Try for free. Regional restrictions may apply.)
  • Follow: CBS Sports App
  • Ticket Cost: $20.00

Odds

The Hornets are a slight 2.5-point favorite against the Cavaliers, according to the latest NBA odds.

The oddsmakers had a good feel for the line for this one, as the game opened with the Hornets as a 3-point favorite.

Over/Under: -108

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Series History

Cleveland have won 14 out of their last 20 games against Charlotte.

  • Apr 23, 2021 - Charlotte 108 vs. Cleveland 102
  • Apr 14, 2021 - Cleveland 103 vs. Charlotte 90
  • Dec 23, 2020 - Cleveland 121 vs. Charlotte 114
  • Jan 02, 2020 - Charlotte 109 vs. Cleveland 106
  • Dec 18, 2019 - Cleveland 100 vs. Charlotte 98
  • Apr 09, 2019 - Charlotte 124 vs. Cleveland 97
  • Dec 19, 2018 - Charlotte 110 vs. Cleveland 99
  • Nov 13, 2018 - Cleveland 113 vs. Charlotte 89
  • Nov 03, 2018 - Charlotte 126 vs. Cleveland 94
  • Mar 28, 2018 - Cleveland 118 vs. Charlotte 105
  • Nov 24, 2017 - Cleveland 100 vs. Charlotte 99
  • Nov 15, 2017 - Cleveland 115 vs. Charlotte 107
  • Mar 24, 2017 - Cleveland 112 vs. Charlotte 105
  • Dec 31, 2016 - Cleveland 121 vs. Charlotte 109
  • Dec 10, 2016 - Cleveland 116 vs. Charlotte 105
  • Nov 13, 2016 - Cleveland 100 vs. Charlotte 93
  • Apr 03, 2016 - Cleveland 112 vs. Charlotte 103
  • Feb 24, 2016 - Cleveland 114 vs. Charlotte 103
  • Feb 03, 2016 - Charlotte 106 vs. Cleveland 97
  • Nov 27, 2015 - Cleveland 95 vs. Charlotte 90

Injury Report for Cleveland

  • Dean Wade: Game-Time Decision (Ankle)
  • Dylan Windler: Out (Hip)
  • Darius Garland: Out (Ankle)

Injury Report for Charlotte

  • Terry Rozier: Game-Time Decision (Ankle)