East Notes: Cavs, Marcus Morris, Hornets, Nets

Cavaliers

Forward Marcus Morris was ejected for throwing an elbow toward the throat/chin area of Hornets big man Nick Richards in the Cavaliers’ win on Monday — and it immediately spurned a Cavs run.

Until then, Cleveland had been a little sluggish against one of the league’s worst teams.

“I just wanted to be physical,” Morris said. “Like I told the player (Richards), I wasn’t trying to hurt him. I’m just trying to set the tone, man. You’re rolling down the paint, catching lobs and we’re trying to stop that type of (stuff).”

Morris, who’s on a 10-day deal, has immediately added a degree of toughness and veteran experience to the Cavs. His contract expires on Thursday, though it seems likely the Cavs will at least sign him to another 10-day, if not for the remainder of the season.

“There’s been a lot of grueling games and I was just wanted to toughen us up,” Morris said. “Step in front of it like, listen this is what’s going to be expected moving forward, not just for today. Set the precedent going into the playoffs. We’re not about to have anybody coming in here and doing what they want to do.

“I wanted to play the game, I didn’t want to get thrown out, but I definitely wanted to put a little lick on him. I was happy the way we responded.”

• You can check out my full Dribbles on the game right here. The Cavs face the Hornets again on Wednesday in Charlotte.
• Guard/forward Max Strus has now missed 12 straight games with a knee injury that has yet to be specified by the Cavs. Forward Dean Wade has missed four in a row with a knee issue of his own. It’s unclear how either injury occurred.

Hornets

The Hornets (17-54) have lost 12 of 14 and five in a row. The schedule hasn’t done them any favors — as 13 of their 17 games since the All-Star break have come on the road.

“I’ve been in the league for 20 years and I’ve never seen a stretch like this,” coach Steve Clifford said. “We need to get home, get refreshed and try to finish on a high note.”

• Bringing back forward Miles Bridges is crucial to the Hornets’ future, his teammates believe, via Roderick Boone of the Charlotte Observer.

Nets

The Nets finally snapped a six-game losing streak with a road win against the fading Raptors on Monday — marking Brooklyn’s first victory since March 10 at Cleveland.

“I told these guys it’s hard to win in the NBA,” interim coach Kevin Ollie said. “We’re going to get a nice team dinner. The wine is going to taste a little bit better.”

• Nets guard Dennis Schroder finished with 19 points against the team that traded him in February.