PREVIEW: The Charlotte Hornets travel to Rocket Arena to face the Cleveland Cavaliers on Sunday night , with the Cavaliers holding a 15-11 record while the Hornets sit at 7-18. Charlotte has struggled recently, dropping four of their last five contests , though they showed offensive firepower in their previous matchup with Kon Knueppel posting 33 points and Miles Bridges adding 32 as the team shot 53 percent from the field . Meanwhile, Cleveland has lost five of their last eight games but escaped with a narrow win over Washington on Friday. Donovan Mitchell continues to be the driving force for the Cavaliers, scoring 48 points in their most recent victory . The injury situation looms large for both squads heading into this matchup. Charlotte is without LaMelo Ball, Collin Sexton, Tre Mann, Grant Williams, and Pat Connaughton, while Cleveland has ruled out Sam Merrill, Max Strus, Jarrett Allen, and Evan Mobley. The Hornets enter as heavy road underdogs in this contest , yet the Cavaliers have won all four of their recent matchups against Charlotte and hold a 7-10 edge in their last ten head-to-head meetings . With both teams dealing with significant roster concerns, execution and depth could ultimately determine whether Cleveland extends its dominance or if Charlotte finds an opportunity to pull off a surprise result.