Hornets Win Seventh Straight

It's been a tumultuous season for the Charlotte Hornets. Now, on a seven-game winning streak, they are making a late run for a playoff berth.

David Wesley had 24 points and Bobby Phills added 23 for Charlotte in a 90-82 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Saturday night.

"A lot of people judge the season you're having just by points. But I'm all about wins and losses, and making the playoffs," Phills said.

The Hornets went 1-5 recently when Phills was out with a groin injury, but the winning streak has coincided with his return.

"This is my eighth year in the league and I played in Cleveland for six, so there's lots of emotions for me to come back here," he said. "We're chasing Cleveland, and they know it. Everything is perfect. Everything is going real well right now."

The Hornets are tied with Toronto for 10th place in the Eastern Conference, one game behind ninth-place New York and 1½ games behind Cleveland, which holds the eighth and final spot.

Shawn Kemp scored 23 points for Cleveland, but had little offensive support as the Cavaliers' three-game winning streak ended.

"It's a tough game for us tonight," Kemp said. "The league is tough right now. Everyone's going through the same thing. We just didn't have it tonight."

The Hornets peppered the Cavaliers with 10 3-pointers in 22 attempts. They made eight 3-pointers in the second half.

"It's contagious," Wesley said. "I think it jst comes from playing well."

Both teams were sluggish on offense early, after posting wins in close road games Friday night. Chucky Brown's 18-footer as the first quarter ended put Charlotte ahead 19-14.

The Hornets made just four free throws in the second quarter until Phills scored on an offensive rebound with 2:11 left. That was the start of a 13-4 run that put Charlotte ahead 36-32 at halftime.

Eddie Jones, coming off a 23-point effort for the Hornets on Friday night in Milwaukee, was scoreless in 19 minutes in the first half. But he finally hit a 3-pointer with 10:38 left in the third quarter, helping lead Charlotte's 28-13 run that made it 64-45. The Hornets led 68-54 after three quarters.

Charlotte led by 20 points early in the fourth quarter.

Notes

• The Hornets are 15-9 since Paul Silas took over as interim coach March 8 after Dave Cowens resigned. They've also won four straight road games.
• Mitchell Butler continues to take advantage of playing time while Derek Anderson is on the injured list with a knee injury. His 18 points for the Cavs against Charlotte marked his best scoring performance this season.

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