Cleveland Cavaliers freeze up in overtime loss vs. Charlotte Hornets

The Cleveland Cavaliers are disappointed after a 119-111 loss in overtime to the Charlotte Hornets on Sunday evening inside Rocket Arena.

The Cavaliers trailed by nine points going into the fourth quarter, but they managed to pull off a comeback and extend the game to overtime thanks to some clutch play. With seconds to go, it appeared that Jaylon Tyson would be the hero for the Cavs, putting the team up three in the final possession.

However, the Hornets had one chance to tie the game, and they did just that when Brandon Miller hit a game-tying three-pointer. Donovan Mitchell had a chance to win the game, but his shot came up just short, sending the game into overtime.

Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell dribbles against Charlotte Hornets guard Sion James. | David Richard-Imagn Images

Cavaliers fall in overtime vs. Hornets

The Cavs were absolutely blanked in overtime, missing all 10 of their shots. Meanwhile, the Hornets made six free throws and a layup from Miles Bridges to score eight points to win the game.

The Hornets were fueled by No. 4 overall pick Kon Knueppel, who scored a team-high 29 points to lead the way. Miller added 25 points while Bridges had 20 for the Hornets.

Darius Garland was the leading scorer for the Cavs with 26 points. Mitchell scored 17 while making just 6 of 24 shots from the field. Tyson had 16 points and 13 rebounds for the Cavs off the bench as Dean Wade also pitched in with 14 points. Thomas Bryant joined them in double figures with 10.

It's a concerning loss for the Cavs who probably should have won the game given the fact that they had the lead with seconds to go. They also failed to score anything in overtime, which is a sign that this team is fatigued.

Knowing that Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen are both on the sidelines with injuries, things could go from bad to worse for the Cavs if they don't find a way to turn things around. At the same time, there are still so many games left to be played in the schedule that it isn't quite time for the Cavs to hit the panic button yet.

The Cavs will have a few days to lick their wounds and heal up before playing back-to-back games against the Chicago Bulls. The Cavs will visit the Bulls on Wednesday in the Windy City before the two teams have a meeting inside Rocket Arena on Friday.