Notebook: Hornets 89, Cavaliers 84

Posted Wednesday February 22, 2012 11:55PM

By Brian Dulik, for NBA.com

THE FACTS: Center Chris Kaman scored 21 points and power forward Gustavo Ayon grabbed a career-high 17 rebounds, leading the New Orleans Hornets to an 89-84 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers. Kaman also had 13 rebounds for New Orleans, which never trailed in completing its five-game road trip with a 3-2 record. Hornets shooting guard Marco Belinelli chipped in 19 points and point guard Jarrett Jack added 16 off the bench. Power forward Antawn Jamison had team highs of 22 points and 12 rebounds for the Cavaliers, while point guard Kyrie Irving dished out a career-best 11 assists but was held to six points.

QUOTABLE: "We know people were calling us the worst team in the West. We've kept that in the back of our heads. We're growing, man, and someday soon everyone will keep talking about us (positively). Right now, we just have to go through what we have to go through."
-- Hornets guard Greivis Vasquez

THE STAT: The Cavaliers' starting backcourt of Irving and shooting guard Daniel Gibson combined to go 3-for-22 from the floor, including 1-for-11 on 3-pointers. Top overall draft pick Irving missed 11 of his first 12 attempts and finished 2-for-13, while Gibson drew iron on his first seven shots and wound up 1-for-9. "It was a tough night," said Irving, who equaled his lowest-scoring game in 28 NBA contests. "It happens, it's part of the game. I wasn't tired, I just wasn't hitting shots." New Orleans starting guards Vasquez and Belinelli outscored their Cleveland counterparts 32-13.

TURNING POINT: The Cavaliers scored 11 straight points early in the fourth quarter to trim New Orleans' lead to 71-70, but center Ryan Hollins missed a free throw that could have tied the contest. The Hornets immediately turned up the pressure and held Cleveland scoreless over the next 4:59 -- on 0-for-12 shooting with three turnovers. "We turn the ball over way too much to say we have great chemistry, but we do have defensive togetherness that helps us," New Orleans coach Monty Williams said. "We had 11 consecutive stops in a row in the fourth quarter. That's just hard work."

QUOTABLE II: "We've got a little bit of momentum going now. As a coach, you almost want to keep playing because the last 2 1/2 weeks have been eye-opening for our guys, seeing what they can do together."
-- Hornets coach Monty Williams

HOT: Ayon is averaging 9.7 rebounds over his last six games, increasing his season average to 5.0. The third Mexican-born player in NBA history, he is tied for third place in the league in rebounding among rookies. ... Vasquez had 13 points and a team-high five assists in a game-best 38 minutes. The second-year pro is one of three Venezuelan citizens ever to play in the NBA. ... Williams is 3-0 against the Cavaliers as a head coach. ... Cleveland rookie power forward Tristan Thompson had his second double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds in just 16 minutes off the bench. ... Jamison's 12 boards matched his season high. ... The Cavaliers' 22 offensive rebounds were their most since March 8, 2008.

NOT: Hornets small forward Trevor Ariza missed all six of his shots. ... Vasquez made a game-high six turnovers, while Kaman was next in line with four. ... Cavaliers starting center Semih Erden was benched after playing eight minutes in favor of Hollins. "I just didn't think he was giving a great effort," Cleveland coach Byron Scott said. "I really didn't, so I just decided at halftime to make a change." ... Cavaliers power forward Luke Harangody missed all five of his field goal attempts, all of which were came under the basket. ... Gibson made three turnovers and was 0-for-3 on 3-pointers in the first quarter. ... Irving rifled a pass out of bounds, directly to Jack, who was standing in front of the Hornets bench.

QUOTABLE III: "Bottom line is we just couldn't throw it in the ocean tonight. We had great shots and we have a bunch of guys in that locker room that can make shots. Tonight just wasn't one of those nights."
-- Cavaliers coach Byron Scott

GOOD MOVE: The Hornets attacked Cleveland's porous interior defense early and often, scoring 50 of their 89 points in the paint while winning the rebounding battle 56-48. Kaman and Ayon combined for 30 points and 30 rebounds on a whopping 32 field goal attempts. They also grabbed 12 of New Orleans' 20 offensive boards. "My goal is always to dominate people. Goose (Ayon) does the same thing," Kaman said. "We just fight every night and play hard. We do what we do each game."

BAD MOVE: Cavaliers post player Samardo Samuels earned his third straight "Did Not Play -- Coach's Decision" from Scott, but Harangody got on the court for the fourth time in six games. Erden, Thompson and Harangody each had two layup/dunk attempts blocked by New Orleans, while Samuels and his talented offensive skills remained on the bench in his warm-ups. "When you shoot 32 percent, you're not giving yourself much of a chance," Scott said.

NOTABLE: The teams combined for 42 offensive rebounds, equaling the Quicken Loans Arena record. ... The Cavaliers are 4-4 during their franchise-record nine-game homestand. Cleveland had won its two previous games by one point, edging Sacramento and Detroit. ... New Orleans was playing its third game in three nights, having lost on the road to Oklahoma City and Indiana. ... Irving and Thompson will both play in the BBVA Rising Stars Challenge at NBA All-Star Weekend. Irving also was chosen to compete in the Taco Bell Skills Challenge.

UP NEXT: For the Hornets, Tuesday @ Chicago, Feb. 29 vs. Toronto, March 2 vs. Dallas. For the Cavaliers, Tuesday vs. Boston, Feb. 29 @ New York, March 2 vs. Chicago.