The Cleveland Cavaliers are now the 4th team in NBA history to start a perfect 15-0 after defeating the Charlotte Hornets on Sunday. The Cavs join the ’48-49 Washington Capitols, ’93-94 Houston Rockets, and 2015-16 Golden State Warriors in this rare feat. Notably, all three predecessors reached the NBA Finals, with only the ’94 Rockets winning it all.

Cleveland’s 128-114 victory came without leading scorer Donovan Mitchell, who was listed on the injury report as being out due to rest. Ty Jerome stepped into the starting lineup and contributed 24 points and 8 assists, while Darius Garland led the team with 25 points and 12 assists. Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen also had strong outings, exploiting their size advantage to combine for 44 points and 26 rebounds.

The Cavaliers dominated early and built a 72-59 lead by halftime. However, the Hornets rallied in the third quarter behind aggressive 3-point shooting which narrowed the lead to 82-79. LaMelo Ball led Charlotte with 31 points and 12 assists, while Miles Bridges added 19 points, 8 rebounds, and 8 assists. The Hornets fell to 5-8 for the year despite a feisty effort that included 52 three-point attempts.

The Cavs now face their toughest challenge yet for the season, as they travel to Boston on Tuesday to take on the 11-3 Celtics in a rematch of last year’s Eastern Conference semifinals.