CLEVELAND — Donovan Mitchell pounded his hand on the padded scorer’s table, and the All-Star guard lowered his head to cover his face in disbelief.
That, or embarrassment.
The Cavaliers, considered a strong contender to win the Eastern Conference title this season, look anything but one these days.
On Sunday, they came out flat against Charlotte, recovered and forced overtime before missing all 10 shots in the extra session to lose 119-111 to the Hornets, who were without star LaMelo Ball and have been one of the NBA’s worst road teams this season.
In the final moments, some of the Cleveland fans who stayed around in Rocket Arena until the end, booed the home team, which has too often played uninspired ball this season.
«We deserve it,» Mitchell said. «I was a fan once. I would boo us, too.»
Last season, the Cavs started 15-0 under first-year coach Kenny Atkinson, raising expectations higher than they had been since LeBron James led them to a 2016 championship and four consecutive trips to the Finals.
A disappointing postseason — Cleveland was eliminated in five games by Indiana in the conference semifinals — has been followed by an inconsistent, injury-riddled start to the 2025-26 season.
The losses along with a few head-scratching performances in the past two weeks have raised questions about the Cavs’ roster and makeup. It’s a close team, but one going through adversity that is threatening to chip away at the foundation.
Mitchell, who scored 48 points in a 130-126 win over Washington on Friday, blamed himself for Sunday’s loss, the Cavs’ sixth in nine games. He finished with 17 points on just 6-of-24 shooting, including 1-of-11 on 3-pointers.
After Cleveland rallied to tie it in the fourth, Mitchell had a clean look on a potential winning 12-foot jumper at the regulation horn but missed.
«I had one of those nights on a night and situation when I’m not allowed to,» said Mitchell, who came in averaging 31.3 points, 5.4 assists and 4.8 rebounds. «If I play better, we win that game. Put this one on me. I know my teammates won’t say that.»
It hasn’t helped that Cleveland hasn’t been whole all season.
Like other teams, they’ve battled an injury bug. Though they welcomed back center Jarrett Allen after he sat out nine games because of a finger injury, the Cavs were without forward Evan Mobley, the league’s reigning defensive player of the year who could sit out a month because of a calf strain.
Guard Darius Garland has had to battle through lingering discomfort from offseason toe surgery, and guards Sam Merrill and Max Strus have been out as well.
«No excuse,» said Garland, who scored 26 points against the Hornets and played the last few minutes in obvious distress because of his toe.
Everything is painful right now for the Cavs.
«No one is feeling sorry for us,» Mitchell said. «I wouldn’t feel sorry for us. I know it’s cloudy. I know it’s dark. As long as we continue to stay together in this locker room, we’ll be all right.»
