Charlotte Hornets vs Cleveland Cavaliers Final Score & Over/Under Result — Dec 22, 2025

The fourth quarter became the inflection point, as Cleveland and Charlotte combined for 72 points in the final frame—the game's highest-scoring period—propelling the Cavaliers past the Hornets 139–132. That decisive stretch, paired with a competitive second half (138 combined points), lifted the final combined total to 271, shattering the 239.5 market total by 31.5 points and handing DAGGER an UNDER miss.

The first half moved methodically. Q1 saw 69 combined points, followed by a sluggish Q2 that produced just 64, leaving teams level at 133 through two quarters. Charlotte's LaMelo Ball orchestrated the visiting offense with 23 points, 9 assists, and 4 rebounds, while Brandon Miller and Kon Knueppel each posted 20 points off the bench. Cleveland's answer came through Donovan Mitchell (30 pts, 5 ast), De'Andre Hunter (27 pts, 5 reb), and Darius Garland (27 pts, 10 ast), who distributed with precision across the lineup. The third quarter remained tight at 66 combined points, setting the stage for that explosive final frame. The late surge proved decisive: Cleveland's 35 fourth-quarter points edged Charlotte's 37, but the Cavaliers' consistency throughout the night—bolstered by Hunter's 27 points—proved sufficient to hold off a late Hornets push. The result flew against pregame expectations, as the teams exceeded their implied ceiling by nearly two touchdowns worth of scoring.