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Hornets Roar Back In 4th Quarter, Beat Cavs To Finish Season Again

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Hornets Roar Back In 4th Quarter, Beat Cavs To Finish Season Again


For the second consecutive year, the Charlotte Hornets closed out their regular season schedule with a double-digit comeback victory in Cleveland on a Sunday afternoon. And though it was another tough injury-plagued campaign, the 120-110 win, at the very least, allowed Head Coach Steve Clifford to end his NBA coaching career on a positive note.

Things weren’t quite as positive for the Cavaliers, who missed out on a chance to clinch a top-three Eastern Conference seed, which sealed a first-round date with the fifth-seeded Orlando Magic in the 4-5 matchup. Charlotte, which played almost entirely reserves, closed the year with wins in three of its final six outings, all of which came against postseason-bound teams.

Cleveland used a 14-0 run and some airtight interior defense to take a 33-24 lead through the opening 12 minutes. The Hornets kept moving the ball and ran just about every chance they got in the second, winning the frame by eight to enter halftime down one. With the East’s second or third seed still very much in play, Cleveland kept its foot on the gas and knocked down 6-of-7 third-quarter 3-point attempts to retake an eight-point advantage with 12 minutes to go.

Down 13 at the 10:09 mark of the fourth following a rare 3-pointer from Cleveland center Damian Jones, Charlotte launched a quick 12-3 run to get back within four. An Isaiah Mobley layup briefly curbed the Hornets’ momentum, which immediately resurfaced with a game-ending 18-2 surge over the final six-and-a-half minutes of play. The visitors forced seven turnovers for 11 ensuing points in the closing quarter, which they won decisively, 32-14 (fewest fourth-quarter points allowed by the Hornets since giving up 13 in Denver on Dec. 23, 2021). 

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“I thought those guys had a good attitude,” said Clifford following the win. “One o’clock starts are also always different. Last game of the year, but they put a lot into it, and I was happy for them. These last 25, 30 games, we’re out of it (playoffs) and we had a really difficult schedule. I’m really proud of all of them. They hung in there, the attitude they had, we kept getting better, we practiced well, and we played some good games.”

Nick Smith Jr. (24; career-best 6-of-11 from 3-point range), JT Thor (20; career-high nine rebounds), Marques Bolden (14; career-high four blocks), and Amari Bailey (11) all established new career-high points totals, with Leaky Black (11) tying his. Bryce McGowens had a season-high 18 points, with Tre Mann (11) making it seven Hornet players in double figures. Charlotte shot 50.5%, 47.5% from 3-point range (19-of-40) and dished out a season-high 36 assists.

Said Thor, “I came in thinking we’ve got everything to play for even though we’re not in the playoffs. Young guys got a lot of opportunity today and that’s all that mattered. Coach Clifford has taught us how to be a pro. He refers a lot to the older days and how those guys worked throughout the season. He said the same thing to us before the game and we got the dub.”

Cleveland lost the season series with the Hornets for the first time since 2018-19. Max Strus notched his first-ever NBA triple-double, finishing with 14 points – 4-of-6 from 3-point range – 10 rebounds and a career-high 11 assists before checking out midway through the fourth. Georges Niang had a team-high 16 points off the bench, with big men Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen also scoring 14 for the Cavaliers, who have now dropped three of four with Charlotte.



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Cleveland, OH

Cavaliers’ Donovan Mitchell Sounds Off On Stephen A. Smith, Critics

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Cavaliers’ Donovan Mitchell Sounds Off On Stephen A. Smith, Critics


Many people cannot handle criticism, whether it’s constructive or unwarranted. But Cleveland Cavaliers star Donovan Mitchell eats it up.

During a recent appearance on the Million Dollaz Worth of Game podcast, Mitchell revealed why he actually likes criticism.

“And when people started talking (expletive) about, ‘Oh, he not that good,’ and I overcame that little hump, that’s when I was like, ‘Alright, bet. I belong,” Mitchell said. “Because they only doin’ that — they not gonna talk (expletive), like you said, about the last guy on the bench.”

Mitchell went on to single out ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith as one of the critics that motivated him.

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“The greats go through the highs and the lows throughout, then that’s when I really stopped listening to the media for real, but that was when I realized, like, oh, you got the Stephen A. Smiths talking about, ‘Oh, he can be this. He can be that.’ And then you start struggling then it’s like, ‘Oh, he’s not this. He’s not that.’ That’s when I was like, ‘Alright, bet.’ You overcome that,” Mitchell said.

Mitchell has a point. Not many NBA analysts are going to focus their critiques on bench players, but when it comes to stars, it’s open season.

Many say that you know you’ve made it when you people start hating, and that’s the angle Mitchell seems to be taking.

And Mitchell has definitely made it.

The 27-year-old has made five straight All-Star appearances and is coming off of a 2023-24 campaign in which he averaged 26.6 points, 6.1 assists, 5.1 rebounds and 1.8 steals over 35.3 minutes per game on 46.2/36.8/86.5 shooting splits.

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Mitchell also just signed a lucrative three-year contract extension with the Cavaliers.

That being said, there is still one major accolade missing from Mitchell’s resume: playoff success.

We’ll see if Mitchell can lead Cleveland on a deep postseason run next spring.



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List Of Athletes That Participated In WWE Public Tryouts During SummerSlam Week In Cleveland, OH.

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List Of Athletes That Participated In WWE Public Tryouts During SummerSlam Week In Cleveland, OH.


A list of those who participated in the WWE SummerSlam Public Tryouts in Cleveland, Ohio has surfaced online.

X user @lexveraux shared the following list of male and female talents that took part in the latest WWE tryouts.

Sirena Linton (NCAA All-American Gymnast)
Sofia Grace Iaderosa (Pro soccer player)
Terralicia Mercadel (Track and Field athlete and Powerlifter)
Daryn Harris (Kickboxer)
Emilie Henningsen (Acrobat and Tumbler)
Darci Khan (Track & Field Athlete)
Hayley Montoya (Volleyball Player)
Makenna Turner (Stanford Rowing Team)
Alona Olshevska (NCAA All-American)
Emily Buchette (Lacrosse Player)
Jaiden Fields (Softball Player)
Kaitlyn Banas (Track And Field Athlete)
Karyn Best (Track And Field Athlete)
Kennedy Brace (Track And Field Athlete)
Elena Carter (Track And Field Athlete)
Bayley Humphrey (Gymnast)
Naofal Abouelhouda (Crossfit Athlete)
Elijah Holyfield (Football Player, Son of Evander Holyfield)
Shane Bonner (Defensive End)
Camden Gagnon (Defensive Lineman)
Chase Kline (Linebacker)
Atrilleon Williams (Football Player)
Greg Benton Jr (Football Player)
Jeremy Mercier (Linebacker)
Kyle Klink (Linebacker)
Carlos Aviles (Track And Field Athlete)
Matthew Tago (Football Player)
Isaiah Chambers (Defensive Lineman)
Hayden Hatcher (Linebacker)
Terrance Taylor (Linebacker)
Von Young IV (Football Player)
Jack Freeman (Offensive Lineman)





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Guardians bolster bullpen with two fresh arms ahead of series finale against Orioles

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Guardians bolster bullpen with two fresh arms ahead of series finale against Orioles


CLEVELAND, Ohio — The Guardians bolstered their bullpen with a pair of fresh arms ahead of Sunday’s series finale against Baltimore, recalling right-hander Eli Morgan from Triple-A Columbus and selecting righty Connor Gillispie from the Clippers.

Lefty starter Joey Cantillo, who allowed three runs in four innings during Saturday’s 7-4 loss to the Orioles, and righty Xzavion Curry, who surrendered four runs in three relief innings, were optioned to the minors to make room on the active roster.

Gillispie, 26, was selected by the Guardians in December as part of the minor league phase of the 2023 Rule 5 draft. Prior to joining Cleveland’s organization, Gillispie made 87 appearances (40 starts), going 19-17 with a 4.00 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, and eight saves in 11 opportunities as part of Baltimore’s farm system. He was a ninth-round pick of the Orioles in the 2019 MLB draft.

This season, Gillispie has started 11 games and worked out of the bullpen in nine for the Clippers, compiling a 3-7 record and 4.01 ERA in 89 2/3 innings. He has posted a 23.3% strikeout rate and a 10.5% walk rate while surrendering 19 home runs.

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Pitching coach Carl Willis said Gillispie has started and worked out of the bullpen this season and brings a five-pitch mix to the mound. After using righty Pedro Avila on back-to-back nights against Baltimore, the Guardians felt Gillispie was best positioned to help the bullpen in the short term.

“We needed some length, and just from a strike-throwing perspective and the pitch mix, we felt like he was our best option to come up and give us some length here (Sunday),” Willis said.

Morgan, 28, is 1-0 with a 1.98 ERA in 13 appearances for Cleveland this season, including 10 strikeouts in 13 2/3 innings. He spent two stints on the major league injured list before being optioned to Columbus on July 4.

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