Cleveland @ Charlotte preview

Last Meeting ( Nov 24, 2017 ) Charlotte 99, Cleveland 100

The Cleveland Cavaliers' winning streak came to a crashing halt in Miami on Tuesday and they have little time to pick up the pieces before visiting the Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday. The Cavaliers had won five in a row while averaging 122.2 points before they shot 36.5 percent in an ugly 98-79 loss to the Heat, their lowest-scoring effort in exactly one year.

"We missed shots early, missed shots early and we allowed their pressure to take us out of some of the stuff we wanted to do," assistant coach Larry Drew - who continues to fill in for the ailing Tyronn Lue - told reporters. "When we got down it just became just too big of a deficit." Cleveland, which plays five of its final seven games at home after finishing up in Charlotte, is a half-game ahead of Philadelphia in the race for third place in the Eastern Conference. The Hornets are on the verge of being eliminated from playoff contention but refuse to go quietly into the offseason and have averaged 122.5 points during a four-game winning streak. Kemba Walker scored 11 of his 31 points in overtime as Charlotte got past the New York Knicks 137-128 on Monday, pulling the team to within one victory of matching its longest winning streak of the season.

TV: 7 p.m. ET, NBATV, FS Ohio (Cleveland), FS Southeast (Charlotte)

ABOUT THE CAVALIERS (44-30): Kevin Love managed one point in seven minutes before he was knocked from Tuesday's loss due to an elbow by Miami's Jordan Mickey, which loosened a tooth. Love also exhibited some concussion-like symptoms and will be re-evaluated in the morning before it is determined whether he will continue the trip to Charlotte. LeBron James was limited to 18 points - his lowest total since Feb. 23 - at Miami and he missed all four of his 3-point tries as Cleveland finished with a season-low four makes from beyond the arc in 26 attempts.

ABOUT THE HORNETS (34-41): Charlotte is six games out of a playoff spot with seven to play and the writing is on the wall, which frustrates someone like Walker, who is in his seventh season with the Hornets and has appeared in just 11 playoff games. "At this point, I want to win. I want to be in the playoffs," Walker told the Charlotte Observer. "I'm tired of not being in the playoffs. ... I hate watching them on TV. I've been there twice in seven years, and it's just not fun (watching)." The two-time All-Star is doing all he can to keep Charlotte's slim hopes alive and is averaging 31.3 points during the winning streak.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Cavaliers C Tristan Thompson is averaging 11 rebounds in 16 minutes in three games since returning from an ankle injury.

2. Hornets C Dwight Howard has 2,037 career blocked shots, tied with Kevin Garnett for 17th on the NBA's all-time list.

3. Cleveland won each of the last eight meetings, including three straight at Charlotte.

PREDICTION: Cavaliers 108, Hornets 106