This was supposed to be the bounce-back game for the unconvincing Cleveland Cavaliers.

Playing the Charlotte Hornets, who had lost six straight games, were not on the same page as a team, and were without Brandon Miller, Kon Knueppel and Moussa Diabate, seemed like good timing.

After what is best described as an inconsistent start, the Cavs were playing a team down on their luck, and this looked to be the perfect game to get back into their rhythm and get a statement win.

Instead, the lowly Hornets rose from their shell and kept Cleveland hiding in theirs. Charlotte eased to a 124-112 win, with the Cavaliers’ performance raising more questions than answers.

The uncomfortable truth behind Cleveland’s loss

Charlotte’s aggressive work on the offensive boards, combined with the Cavs lack of defensive urgency, repeatedly exposed its perimeter rotations.

Despite missing several players, including a pivotal player in Miller, the Hornets completely flipped the script on their season-long perimeter shooting struggles, connecting on a blistering 23-for-46 attempts from three-point land.

And that is from a team that only shoots 28.8% from deep – the second lowest average in the NBA.

Much of that success stemmed from Charlotte’s dominance on the glass. The Hornets hauled in 17 offensive rebounds, generating a steady stream of second-chance opportunities. Overall, they outrebounded Cleveland 49-32. It was too easy.

Ryan Kalkbrenner was an absolute menace on the glass, collecting 10 offensive rebounds by himself.

Whenever Charlotte missed, Kalkbrenner and Naz Reid repeatedly extended possessions, keeping the ball alive before kicking it out to wide-open perimeter shooters.

Cleveland's problem was that its defenders were already collapsing toward the paint to secure the defensive rebound.

By the time Charlotte recovered the loose ball and moved it back outside, the Cavaliers were completely out of position to close out on the perimeter.

However, the most concerning aspect of Cleveland’s defensive performance was the sheer passivity on display during a third-quarter possession.

James Harden showed virtually no urgency as Charlotte secured two consecutive offensive rebounds. He failed to rotate, offered little perimeter resistance, and ultimately resorted to a lazy foul to end the possession.

James Harden is getting roasted for his defense, but Cleveland’s rebounding numbers are even more embarrassing. 😭

Charlotte’s Ryan Kalkbrenner grabbed TEN offensive rebounds by himself. The entire Cavaliers team managed FOUR.

And this was against a Hornets team missing three…

— MaxB (@MegaMaxing) November 10, 2026

His overall performance was equally concerning, with Harden posting a team-worst -22 in just 25 minutes.

And that was only the beginning.

Harden and Mitchell went through the motions

Both Harden and Donovan Mitchell looked as though they were simply going through the motions on Monday night, despite facing a Hornets team missing three key figures.

The duo combined for just 22 points, while doing little to disrupt Charlotte. On the flip side, Grayson Allen and Naz Reid were repeatedly given the space and time to find their rhythm, punishing Cleveland from beyond the arc. Allen finished 6-for-12 from deep for 27 points, while Reid shot 4-for-9 and added 25.

Cleveland's bench provided positives — well, minor positives. The reserves injected energy into a flat performance and briefly cut the deficit to eight, offering a glimpse of the fight missing from the starting unit.

But ultimately, Cleveland never looked capable of winning, despite the obvious motivation that should have come with facing a depleted opponent.

Serious contenders find ways to compete when their shots aren't falling. They defend, bring physicality against less-fancied opposition, and remain disciplined when the game looks to go against them.

Cleveland failed on every count.