The Cleveland Cavaliers have a reason to smile following a 115-92 victory over the Charlotte Hornets at home Monday night. That was a win the Cavs needed to boost their morale after three consecutive losses. For Cleveland big man Tristan Thompson, what he did not need was a jab from teammate Georges Niang about the early exit of the Texas Longhorns from the 2024 NCAA Tournament.
Cleveland Cavaliers Teammates Have Friendly Exchange About March Madness
After the Cavs’ win against Charlotte, Niang brought up that the Texas Longhorns, Thompson’s alma mater, failed to get out of the second round of the Big Dance. The Longhorns survived the first round with a 56-44 win against the Colorado State Rams but fell prey to the Tennessee Volunteers in the Round of 32, 62-58.
Meanwhile, Niang, who used to star for the Iowa State Cyclones, saw this school punch its tickets to the Sweet 16 round by defeating the Washington State Cougars in the second round, 67-56. The Cyclones also beat the South Dakota State Jackrabbits in the first round, 82-65.
The Cyclones will next face the Illinois Fighting Illini on Thursday.
Thompson, of course, isn’t the only Longhorn on the Cleveland Cavaliers roster. Big man Jarrett Allen also played college ball in Austin, so it surely did not make him feel better to see the Longhorns strike out of the tournament early.
In any case, Niang and Thompson now share the common goal of helping the Cavaliers win an NBA title.
The 44-28 Cavs will face the Hornets again this Wednesday on the road.
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