CLARKSON FUELS INJURY-HIT CAVS, SCORES 24 POINTS OFF THE BENCH
CLEVELAND – The Cleveland Cavaliers are dealing with so many injuries they needed an assistant coach to suit up for practice Monday.
A little over 24 hours later they did just fine with their healthy players.
Fil-American Jordan Clarkson scored 24 points, Tristan Thompson had 21 rebounds and 11 points, and Cleveland won for the second time this season, beating the Charlotte Hornets 113-89 on Tuesday night.
The Cavaliers (2-11) broke a five-game losing streak. Cleveland’s first win came against Atlanta on Oct. 30.
Cleveland’s injury list grew longer while the losses piled up. Forwards Kyle Korver (sore right foot) and Cedi Osman (back spasms) didn’t play Tuesday and are the most recent additions.
All-Star forward Kevin Love (foot surgery), starting point guard George Hill (hamstring) and forward Sam Dekker (ankle) have also been sidelined.
Cavaliers coach Larry Drew gave a rundown of the team’s injuries in his pregame media session and then asked, “Who’m I missing? Is that it?”
In Denver, James Harden scored 19 of his 22 points in the second half and Houston pulled away to beat Denver, sending the Nuggets to a fourth straight loss with a 109-99 victory.
In Oakland, Kevin Durant scored 29 points with a key jumper in the final minute, a day after a shouting episode on the bench with Draymond Green led to his teammate’s suspension Tuesday, and the undermanned Golden State Warriors held off the Atlanta Hawks 110-103.
Thompson was a key member of the team that went to four straight NBA Finals and won the championship in 2016. Despite the injuries and early season drama that included coach Tyronn Lue being fired after an 0-6 start, he knows the players must keep their heads up.
“We’ve got to,” he said. “This is the NBA. We can’t feel sorry for ourselves. It’s a month into the season. We have to keep pushing and keep getting better.”
Kemba Walker, the league’s thirdleading scorer, was held to a season-low seven points and was 2 for 16 from the field. The Hornets star guard was averaging 27.9 points going into the game.
NBA RESULTS: CLEVELAND 113, CHARLOTTE 89; HOUSTON 109, DENVER 99; GOLDEN STATE 110, ATLANTA 103.