CLEVELAND (AP) — Rookie Con Knueppel scored 29 points, Brandon Miller added 25 and the Charlotte Hornets beat Cleveland in overtime en route to a rare 119-111 road win over the Cavaliers on Sunday.
Knueppel, the fourth overall pick in this year's NBA Draft, had his second straight strong performance after scoring a season-high 33 in Friday night's loss to Chicago. Miller added a career-high 13 rebounds and six assists.
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Miles Bridges had 20 points, 10 rebounds and six assists as Charlotte improved to 3-10 on the road.
The Cavaliers missed all 10 shots in a five-minute overtime period, and Cleveland suffered another troubling loss for a team expected to compete 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 first two months of the season.
Jaylon Tyson had 16 points and 13 rebounds for Cleveland, which has lost six of nine.
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The Cavs were down 17 points in the third but rallied to tie the game in the final seconds of regulation. Mitchell had a last-second chance to win it, but the All-Star guard, who entered the game with 48 points in Washington on Friday, missed a 12-foot jumper.
After the misfire, Mitchell sadly covered his face, placing it on the scorer's table.
Injuries have played a role in the Cavaliers' problems. They were missing another key piece as forward Evan Mobley was sidelined with a left calf strain, which could keep the league's reigning Defensive Player of the Year out for a month.
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While Cleveland's play has been a concern lately, coach Kenny Atkinson remains optimistic, declaring before the game, “The sky isn't falling. We'll be OK.”
The Hornets were without guards LaMelo Ball, Collin Sexton and Tre Mann due to injury.
Next
Hornets: Host Atlanta on Thursday night.
Cavaliers: At Chicago on Wednesday night.
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NBA AP: https://apnews.com/hub/nba
