Charlotte @ Cleveland preview

Last Meeting ( Dec 18, 2019 ) Charlotte 98, Cleveland 100

The Charlotte Hornets own the longest current losing streak in the Eastern Conference at six straight and will play six of the next eight on the road, where they own a 6-12 record. The Hornets will try to put the messy end to 2019 behind them when they visit the Cleveland Cavaliers on Thursday.

Three of Charlotte's last four losses came by double figures, and the team could not keep pace in the fourth quarter against former franchise player Kemba Walker and the Boston Celtics in a 109-92 setback on Tuesday. "We were right there for a bit, didn't hang our heads, kept making a few runs here or there," Hornets coach James Borrego told reporters. "Against a team like this, you have to play for 48 minutes. For our group, we almost have to hit perfection just to be in the game against Boston. Offensively, we've really struggled to score against them." The Cavaliers are not in the same class as the Celtics but have already shown an ability to hang with Charlotte, earning a 100-98 triumph over the Hornets at home on December 18. Cleveland is coming off a three-game road trip and dropped the finale 117-97 at Toronto on Tuesday.

TIME: 7 p.m. ET. TV: FS Southeast, FS Ohio

ABOUT THE HORNETS (13-23): Charlotte is averaging 99.3 points during its six-game slide and shot 39.5 percent from the floor in Tuesday's setback. The starting backcourt combination of Terry Rozier and Devonte' Graham combined to go 7-of-25 from the floor in the loss and both have struggled during the slide, with Graham a particularly dreadful 30-of-106. The second-year guard got off to a hot start and exploded for a career-high 40 points in a win at Brooklyn on Dec. 11 but is averaging 15.4 points on 26.8 percent shooting in nine games since that performance.

ABOUT THE CAVALIERS (10-23): Cleveland was outscored 32-18 in the second quarter on Tuesday to let the game get away and struggled offensively throughout the contest. "Just not a very good game for us," Cavaliers coach John Beilein told reporters. "Credit Toronto for that. They have a great system that they are playing with and they have tremendous guards who really run that thing so well. They're really sound defensively. We were not good in many areas of the game today -- end of the road trip or whatever -- but we just were not very good. Now we have to watch the video and see what we can do to get better." Cleveland can get better from beyond the arc, from where it went 10-of-38 against the Raptors with Kevin Love struggling to 1-of-7.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Cavaliers G Collin Sexton is averaging 21.5 points over the last four games.

2. Hornets SF Miles Bridges collected 14 points and 10 rebounds on Tuesday for his second double-double.

3. Sexton scored 23 points and Love went 4-of-6 from beyond the arc in Cleveland's recent win over Charlotte on Dec. 18.

PREDICTION: Cavaliers 109, Hornets 99