Heat 117, Cavs 90: Manny Harris dunked on LeBron James

Sure, the Cavaliers didn't win the game, but this was just about the greatest thing I've ever seen in my life.

Manny Harris was aggressive, finished with 20 points for the 2nd consecutive night, and without question provided the Cavaliers with the highlight of the season. 

On a fast break getting chased down by LeBron, he soared for a two-handed jam and LeBron went up to block the shot.  And then it happened:  Manny Harris dunked on LeBron James.

There were a few other feel-good moments, including most of the 2nd quarter.  The Cavaliers 37 points in the 2nd quarter was the most Miami has given up in a quarter this season.  Imagine if we could string 48 minutes of that kind of basketball together. 

The Cavaliers had every chance to fold in the 1st half, but refused to give up and gave 100% effort to stop the Heat from pulling away.

Antawn Jamison finished the 1st half with 17 points and 5 rebounds.  His 3 pointer was on, and he kept the Cavs in the game on multiple occasions.

Manny Harris was aggressive, and without question provided the Cavaliers with the highlight of the season.  On a fast break getting chased down by LeBron, he soared for a two-handed jam and LeBron couldn't do a damn thing about it.

When Mario Chalmers hit a 3 to go up 64-46, the Cavaliers could have easily chalked this one up as another loss.  Instead, our team showed the determination we've been waiting to see all season, and went on a 11-3 run to cut the lead to 66-57 as we headed into halftime. 

If Dwyane Wade hadn't scored 26 in the half we would have had an even closer affair.  Chris Bosh confirmed that he's one of the NBA's "fake tough guys" finishing the half with 2 points on 1/5 shooting.

The second half started off magical, with the Cavs cutting the lead to 70-67 after Eyenga and Hickson helped put together a 10-4. 

But the heat went on a 9-0 run of their own and pushed the lead back to 12.  Meanwhile, Manny Harris was getting no-calls while getting hacked on layup attempts.  Simultaenously he was throwing down fastbreak dunks, and pushing the tempo keeping the Cavs in the game.

But the referees were set on screwing the Cavs.  Fast forward to 30 seconds left in the 3rd where Antawn Jamison received a technical foul for demonstratively arguing the consisten no-calls on the offensive end.

The Cavaliers finished the quarter down 89-72 and the game was essentially out of reach. 

The Heat continued to put points on the board while the Cavs struggled to find much of anything offensively. 

D-Wade led all scorers with 34, and pretty much had his way with the defense of the Cavaliers' all night long.

Cleveland records its 21st consecutive loss, and finishes the month of January without a win.

Instead, we'll focus on remembering it as the night when Manny Harris dunked on LeBron James.

Magic 103, Cavs 87: And so the trend continues - 20 . Straight . Losses

It's like a bad dream you can't wake up from, except in this dream you've been sleeping for 42 days.

The Cavaliers lost their 20th game in a row to the Orlando Magic, who took advantage of our lack of size and defense.

As we've seen recently, our rookies played well but it was never going to be enough to beat one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference.

Manny Harris led the Cavaliers with 20 points on 7/12 shooting.  More more shots please?  He shot 60% from behind the 3 point line, nailing 3 of 5 deep balls he attempted.  His 6 rebounds and 3 assists only added to his growing legend. 

We here at Cavaliers United applaud Manny in his effort to restore greatness to what was once a proud NBA franchise.

Samardo Samuels played well enough to score a career-high 16 points on 6/8 shooting, and really found a rhythm offensively during his time on the court.

Christian Eyenga started off the game 4/5 from the field with 9 points, impressing with his offensive ability and defensive intensity.  He even had the audacity to block Dwight Howard during the early portion of the game. 

Speaking of blocks, the Cavs had 4 in the 5 minutes of the game.  J.J. Hickson finished with 3 rejections, but somehow managed to score exactly 0 points in 21 minutes on the floor.

When your starting "Center" doesn't score, it's going to be tough to hang with the elite teams in this league.  J.J. had been playing well coming into tonight but just didn't have it offensively.  His 11 rebounds were appreciated, but you can't make an excuse for his scoreless night.

Dwight Howard finished the 1st quarter with 8 points and 9 rebounds, and the Cavs were down 33-17 after the 1st.

Superman would finish with 20 points in the game, and added 20 rebounds in a heroic effort.  But there was another Orlando player who would put more points up on the board. 

So who led the Magic in scoring?  You guessed it.. Ryan Anderson.

Not exactly who you expected, but Anderson hit 5/10 three pointers;  he wasn't afraid to shoot the ball.  With newcomer Gilbert Arenas sidelined for the night, Ryan gladly took center stage.

I tried to figure out why the Cavs lost tonight, other than the obvious.  We had a better shooting percentage than the Magic, 43% to 41%.  Was it turnovers?  Nope, both teams turned the ball over 18 times.

And then I looked at total rebounds.  The Cavaliers were out-boarded 61-35, which would explain the lopsided loss.  Clearly we're missing Anderson Varejao.

Then you also factor in the minor detail that Gibson, Jamison and Hickson all combined to go 4/25 from the floor, and it all adds up - to what would be the 20th consecutive loss in this mildly disappointing season.  The last time the Cavaliers won a game, most people hadn't even finished their Christmas shopping.

It doesn't get easier, with the Cavs heading to Miami for a back-to-back tomorrow night.  Although we did play the Heat close last time we were there, it looks very possible that the team that won 60+ games last season finishes the month of January winless.

Preview - Cavs vs. Magic: Looking to snap the streak

The Cleveland Cavaliers will try to avoid setting a single-season record of 20 straight losses when they take on Orlando tonight at 6:00pm.

Cleveland's last win was against New York before Christmas, and are looking for anything to help them end this streak. The Cavaliers tied a single-season franchise record with their 19th straight loss, 29 in 30 games after falling 117-103 against Denver on Friday.

The Cavaliers, who play Miami on Monday, should focus on Orlando first as tonight will be just as tough. Orlando has won the last four games against the Cavaliers and have outscored Cleveland by 13 in their previous two meetings this year.

Antawn Jamison will look to continue his strong play against the Magic. He is averaging 21.5 ppg on 52 percent shooting from the field and 5 rebounds a game.

JJ Hickson who is also playing strong as of late, is coming off a 24 point, 14 rebound game against Denver. It was his 6th double-double in his past ten games.

The probable starters for the Cavaliers will be the same as it has been. Ramon Sessions (who had 0 turnovers against Denver) will run the point. Boobie will be the two gaurd, Christian Eyenga (who is showing some fantastic upside) will be at the three spot. JJ Hickson and Antawn Jamison will start in the frontcourt for the 8-38 Cavaliers.

The key for tonight will be how JJ and Antawn play against Dwight Howard. The all-star center will have all kinds of advantages against a shorter Hickson and less physical Jamison. Howard could put up big numbers tonight as he is coming off of an impressive 40 point,15 rebound game.

For the Magic, starting point guard, Jameer Nelson may not play tonight. If not, Gilbert Arenas will make his start, who is averaging 7.4 ppg since being traded from Washington.

Tip-off starts at 6:00, tune in for the recap after the game.

Ranting and raving!

The Cavaliers are in a bit of a funk lately. They have lost 19 straight and 29 of their last 30 games. We're currently 8-38 with the worst record in the league. However, I'm continually hearing the same thing out of ignorant people that have no idea what they're talking about.

"THE CAVALIERS ARE NO WHERE CLOSE TO WHAT THEY WERE LAST YEAR!"

Why am I having such a problem with this? Because people are seriously comparing this team to last years team. They are saying LeBron was the whole team and how his "decision" to leave shows how it was all LeBron.

Sure, LeBron WAS a big part of the Cavaliers for the past seven years, but to say the reason the Cavaliers are 8-38 is because "The King" left is just ludicrous.

First lets take a look at the 2009-2010 Cleveland roster that won 61 games.

Head Coach: Mike Brown

Starting lineup: PG- Mo Williams
SG- Anthony Parker
SF- LeBron James
PF- JJ Hickson
C- Shaq

Key players off the bench: Boobie, Delonte West, Big Z, Andy Varejao, Antawn Jamison

The Cavaliers had a strong front-court that included the 2-time MVP, LeBron James, and a future hall-of-famer in Shaq. They also had hustle big-man Anderson Varejao and Cavalier legend "Big Z". A team that had proven players and proven veterans mixed with solid role players that fit the team perfectly.


Now lets look at the 2010-2011 Cleveland Cavaliers.

Head Coach: Byron Scott

8-38 record so far

Starting lineup: PG- Ramon Sessions
SG- Boobie Gibson
SF- Christian Eyenga
PF- Antawn Jamison
C- JJ Hickson

Key players off the bench: Manny Harris, Joey Graham, Ryan Hollins, Anthony Parker, Alonzo Gee

Injured: Mo Williams, Anderson Varejao, Leon Powe

The 2011 Cleveland team is so much different than last years team. We lost the 2-time MVP in LeBron. We lost a future hall-of-famer in Shaq and Cavalier legend "Big Z". The lost of LeBron, Shaq and Z has proven costly defensively for the Cavaliers. Missing big bodies down low, the Cavs are struggling on defense.


We are also one of the youngest teams in the league and two of the players (Manny Harris and Samardo Samuels) went undrafted. Ryan Hollins and Ramon Sessions are both young players trying to find a home in the NBA and Alonzo Gee was picked up after just playing in a few games with Washington.

Out of the regular rotational players for the Cavaliers this year, LeBron played with 4 of them. And LeBron played with Jamison for only a half a season! You can't sit back and tell yourself that the Cavaliers are this bad because of LeBron leaving.

The Cavaliers have been hit hard with injuries this season. Mo Williams has continually battled an injury since training camp. Anderson Varejao (who was second in the NBA in +/- minutes last season) is out for the entire year. Boobie and even Parker have both bothered by injuries.

I'm fully convinced if we would have stayed healthy then we would be fighting for the 8th seed as we speak.

Now I'm not using the injuries as an excuse in why we are 8-38 but it is pretty hard to win games with your key players out. In the beginning of the year we started 7-9 and in the thick of the East. Now, with injury after injury, we have fallen to 8-38.

The Cavaliers have been forced to develop their young players such as: Christian Eyenga, Manny Harris and Samardo Samuels, who all might have been in the D-league if not for all the injuries. All players who LeBron didn't play with.

We have also been forced to play JJ Hickson at the Center position and use Ryan Hollins as the backup Center, who LeBron also wasn't teammates with.

I guess what I'm trying to get at is, stop comparing this years team to last. Stop saying it was all LeBron because these teams are completely different.

Think about what you are saying about the Cavaliers, just because LeBron left doesn't mean its the reason we are 8-38.

Nuggets 117, Cavs 103: (...........19 and counting)

Still winless in 2011, the Cleveland Cavaliers dropped their 19th straight, 117 to 103, against the Denver Nuggets.

The Cavaliers have dropped 29 of their last 30 games and are in serious jeopardy of breaking the NBA record for longest losing streak, which is 23 from the expansion team of Vancouver (1995-1996) and the Nuggets (1996-1997).

JJ Hickson continued his strong play, scoring 24 points and 14 rebounds. JJ is averaging just over 13 rebounds in his last six games for the Cavaliers. Antawn Jamison again provided his strong leadership he has given all year long, scoring 20 points and grabbing 12 rebounds as well, and Ramon Sessions continues to shine scoring 14 rebounds and dishing out 13 assists.

The Cavaliers gave up 70 first half points against the league's best offensive team, who average 108 a game. Denver was led by Carmelo Anthony, scoring 33 points. Denver also got a great effort from Aaron Afflalo, scoring 23 points.

The game seemed out of reach in the second half when Denver pushed its lead to 20 points. However, Cleveland showed pride and battled back. Joey Graham gave a late push, knocking down jumper after jumper finishing with 14 points and 6 rebounds and Boobie contributed with 15 of his own.

Cleveland cut the lead to just six points midway through the 4th. However, Denver had an answer for everything the Cavaliers threw at them. Chauncey "Big Shot" Billups made a couple big shots as Denver pushed its lead back up to ten late in the 4th.

Cleveland heads to Florida for battles against Orlando and then the much hated Miami Heat. With the streak at 19, things can only go up from here.

Wouldn't it be nice to see the losing streak snap against the Heat?

Key Notes: Ironically Byron Scott was on that Vancouver team that lost 23 in a row. Byron knows what the team is going through right now and he is the man for the job, because he has been there.

Preview - Cavs vs. Nuggets: Eyenga Improving, J.J. Rebounding

It's time for the Cavaliers to win a game.

Tonight we're matched up against Carmelo Anthony and the Denver Nuggets. 

The losing streak stands at 18 games. 

That being said, I think we can beat Denver tonight.  Although we did absorb a 127-99 blowout to Carmelo and company January 15th, the Cavs are starting to play better basketball.  Hear me out.

With the emergence of Christian Eyenga and the continued strong play of Antawn Jamison, this team has gained some confidence even during the losing streak.

Christian Eyenga is really starting to gain confidence in this offense; he improves his game almost every night.  The potential is there, he just needs to keep improving his jump shot.  His defense is great, and we like what we see out of him.

J.J. Hickson seems to be finding his groove as well, rebounding effectively and making his presence felt. 

The 103-101 loss to New Jersey was tough to swallow, but we controlled most of that game and had a legitimate chance at winning. 

Sure, the Nuggets are a different animal than the Nets, but any team can win on any given night.  Hey, the Cavs beat the Celtics this year did they not?  I'm convinced the Cavs are making progress.  Allowing our young talent to develop will pay off down the road.

The key to tonight's game will obviously be slowing down Carmelo Anthony, but also containing Chauncey Billups.  Nene also provides a tough matchup for any of the Cavs big men, as he scored 22 against us in our prior matchup.

As Antawn Jamison put it, other teams have a high level of confidence when they play us this season.  No one wants to be the team that gave the Cavs their first win in over a month.

Will the Cavaliers stand up and end the futility?  Will playing in front of the supportive fans of Cleveland be enough to get this team over the hump? 

I'm not saying it's likely, I'm just saying its possible.

Be sure to check out what Byron Scott had to say before the game: Video

Celtics 112, Cavs 95: (..........18 and counting)

We weren't confident the streak would end in Boston, but the Cavaliers did play better than expected.

The Cavaliers did however, set a new franchise record, losing 28 out of their last 29 games and have now lost 18 in a row thanks to the Celtics.  We've also lost 22 games in a row on the road.

It was the first time back in Boston since the Cavaliers lost to the Celtics in the semifinals, which was the second time in three years the Cavaliers lost to Boston in the postseason. The game marked the last time LeBron James would play in a Cleveland uniform before signing with Miami in the summer of 2010.

Boston beat Cleveland 112 to 95 in a night where Cleveland gave a decent effort. J.J. Hickson ended with 12 points and an impressive 17 rebounds.  Ramon Sessions continued his strong play with 14 points and 7 assists.

Cleveland came out hot in the first quarter hitting shot after shot, at one point shooting 58 percent in the quarter.

The red-hot Antawn Jamison, who has been averaging just over 23 a game in January, had 12 points and shot 5-14 from the field. Christian Eyenga continued his strong play as well, showing the Cavaliers what he could become. He continued to knock down shots and showed great athleticism, finishing with 15 points.

However, all that noise the Cavaliers were making seemed to change once Celtics fans witnessed the long awaited return of Kendrick Perkins. Entering the game mid-way through the first, the crowd gave him a standing ovation and Paul Pierce took over from there, ending with 24 first half points.

Boston pulled away from the Cavaliers in the second quarter, outscoring the Cavs 33-19.

The Cavaliers are continuing to give their young players minutes and they are developing. Manny Harris scored 14, Samardo Samuels had a career best 10 points and Joey Graham chipped in with 10 points as well.

The Cavaliers play against Denver on Friday, and will try to snap an 18 game losing streak.

Key Notes: Cleveland radio announcer Joe Tait was released from the Cleveland Clinic on Tuesday afternoon and transferred to a rehabilitation center after undergoing successful heart surgery recently.

Nets 103, Cavs 101: One Gibson 3-ball away from a win

Ahh.. New Jersey.  Just what the doctor ordered.  Or so we thought.

In all reality, we really should have won this game.

There were some positives to take away from this one; almost every Cavalier played effectively. 

Antawn Jamison led the way for the Cavaliers, finishing with 26 points.

J.J. Hickson also played well.

He seems to be committed to rebounding, which this team desperately needs minus Anderson Varejao.

"Right now I'd rather get 20 rebounds than 20 points."

I'ts definitely good to hear that coming from him.

Ramon Sessions went anti-Jay Cutler, and decided to play through an injury to his hamstring.  It's nice to see a player sacrifice for his team.

Daniel Gibson looked for his shot, and played pretty well.  Although his game-winning attempt failed to drop, he still had a good game.

As Austin Carr kept saying during the broadcast, "The Cavaliers finally started playing their style of game." 

Let's not forget who our competition was, but even in defeat this game still felt like progress.

Joey Graham's 3-pointer to tie the game with 7 seconds made you think we had a chance.

When New Jersey posted up Brooks Lopez for what would be the game-winner, the Cavaliers still had a foul to give.  Ryan Hollins attempted to foul but the referees allowed play to go on.

At some point soon, this streak will come to an end.

With Hickson playing more effectively and rebounding consistently, this team looks better.

There were even two dunks that made the ESPN highlight, who seem to have caught on to the Cavaliers lack of success in the last couple months.

Ryan Hollins' fastbreak throwdown was a thing of beauty.  He jumped from what seemed like the free throw line, and threw down a two-handed dunk that would have made Darius Miles proud.

Ramon Sessions' dunk over Brooks Lopez late in the 4th quarter was arguably even more impressive.

Dunks are great, but the losses are piling up.  Can the Cavaliers regain their confidence and will start consistently winning games?

I wouldn't bank on it, but the last few games have showed promise.

The Cavaliers controlled the tempo of the game for about 42 minutes, and really should have beaten New Jersey.

We came close to beating the Bulls in Chicago; the effort has seemed to pick up.

The defensive intensity has also improved, and maybe this team can start building some momentum as we look to the future.

Bulls 92, Cavs 79: No light at the end of the tunnel

There isn't a whole lot to cheer for right now.

In the latest episode of "We will find a way to lose", the Cavaliers dropped their 16th straight to the Bulls in Chicago.

Putting things in perspective:

The last time the Cavs won a game was December 18th vs. the Knicks.  Its January 23rd.

Had Amare Stoudemire hit a 15 footer to win that game, the Cavaliers would be in the midst of a 26 game losing streak.

In case you were wondering, the franchise "record" (if you can call it that) for consecutive games lost is 24 games.  That record is also the NBA mark for futility.  Do we have what it takes to set the record?

The answer is quite simply, yes. 

Assuming we drop our 17th in a row in New Jersey tomorrow night, the streak will without question reach 21 games.  Following Monday night, we play Boston, Denver, Orlando, and then Miami. 

See a win in that group?  Neither do I. 

After that, we will struggle with Indiana, Memphis, and then Portland to tie the record.  If we can somehow find the courage to lose 24 straight, Dwight Howard and the Orlando Magic will deliver the Cavs into the NBA record books.

Even when the Cavs muster a comeback late in these games, as they did last night in Chicago, the chances of us actually winning the game are slim to none.

The Bulls did provide us with a ray of hope when we closed within a few points in the 4th quarter, but it wasn't meant to be.  It's kind of like when a shark lets its victim flail around in the water for a few seconds before it closes in for the kill.

Antawn Jamison did finish last night's game with 31 points, which could be viewed as a major milestone in a season with little to get excited about.

Dan Gilbert returned to the Twittersphere recently, thanking fans for support and promising changes.  Gilbert has become uncharacteristically silent during the dark days in Cleveland.

"You don't panic when things get tough.  You think. You examine. You calculate. THEN you strike. And we will strike." - CavsDan

That sounds good in theory, but how much longer will we have to wait for the "strike" part Dan?

You can't really blame Gilbert for the team's struggles.  LeBron left the franchise in a shameful way, leaving us no chance for immediate success after his departure.   

The one thing you don't want to do is make the wrong trade to appease the fan-base.  Sure, it would be nice to see management do something with this inferior roster, but this season is already one to forget.

That being said, maybe now would be the time to unload Antawn Jamison.  He's playing pretty well, and there should be some interest in his offensive abilities.  He can help a contending team right now. 

He's not going to be in the Cavs long-term plans as he's nearing the end of his playing days, and we shouldn't want to keep his big contract through next season.

Let's just hope our owner is serious about making this team a contender.

The one thing that Gilbert should be thankful for is the loyal fans of Cleveland sports.  You don't see this kind of support anywhere else.

How bad are the Cavaliers right now?

NBA basketball in Cleveland right now couldn't get much worse.

Following last night's 102-88 loss at home to Milwaukee, the Cavaliers are now on a 15 game losing streak.

In every known NBA power ranking system, Cleveland is dead last. 

Here's an excerpt from an AP story, which accurately depicts the current lows the team is experiencing. 

"Only months after owning the NBA’s best record for the second straight year, the Cavaliers have fallen — shockingly fast and far. Now on a 14-game losing streak, the Cavaliers, who started 7-9, have dropped 24 of 25 and haven’t shaken a hangover that began with LeBron James’ summer announcement that he was migrating to Miami. 

At 8-33, with a long list of injured players and a shocked fan base in withdrawal, the Cavaliers have gone from first to worst. They’ve lost their elite status, and it may be years before they get it back."

The throwback jerseys they wore last night seem to fit the futility of the franchise in its current state.  The sad thing is, we'd gladly welcome Darius Miles and Ricky Davis for some highlight-reel plays.  At least with that team, we had dunks.

We need desperately need a small forward, post players, a legitimate center, and a starting shooting guard.  At this point, who is worth keeping on this roster?  Colton Overway, and any other credible NBA talent evaluator knows we need Manny Harris.  Varejao is possibly the only other player I'd miss if he didn't return to Cleveland next season. Samardo Samuels isn't going to cut it.

One thing is already clear - We're playing for next year.

This team needs an infusion of talent, either from free agency or the draft, but it appears we will focus on the latter.  Trade, draft, and then rebuild. In that order.

Not that Byron Scott isn't trying to win games, trust me, he is. 

It's just with the current roster, you don't have much of a chance.  Byron needs something to work with.  The loss of Varejao for the season has stripped the fans of watching one of the few remaining Cavaliers who can provide for some excitement.

In the one game that really mattered to Cavs fans this season, LeBron's return, the team didn't even show up and folded by the 3rd quarter.

We still watch because we support them regardless, but this is pretty close to rock bottom. 

You can see it on their faces, when the opponents just continue to drill shots and beam confidence.

This team is the worst the NBA has to offer right now.  At this point, whether or not we will have won 10 games before the All-Star break is in serious jeopardy.

Preview: Cleveland vs. Milwaukee

The Cavaliers have won eight of their last nine meetings against Milwaukee and six straight at the "Q". However, that streak seems to be forgotten, being that Cleveland is in the middle of a 14 game losing streak.  The Cavs have lost 24 out of their last 25 games.

Cleveland will try to break a 14 game losing streak tonight against the same team Mo Williams beat with a game-winning shot at the buzzer.  Mo finished with 25 points against the Milwaukee Bucks. Unfortunately, the Cavaliers will have a completely different look this time around.  Williams, the hero from the last time the Bucks came to downtown Cleveland, will be on the sidelines cheering.

The starting line-up will most likely consist of Ramon Sessions, Manny Harris, JJ Hickson, Alonzo Gee and Antawn Jamison. A completely different line-up from the previous meeting when Williams hit the dagger at the buzzer.

The bench must continue to play well; they are averaging 36.5 ppg, which is good enough for 5th best in the NBA. Two Cavaliers to keep your eye on tonight are Antawn Jamison and Ramon Sessions. Jamison has scored at least 20 points in six of the last eight games and Sessions has averaged 14.9 ppg to go along with 6 assists in his last 11 games.

Tip is at 7:30pm, at Quicken Loans Arena.

Cavs fans are taking a beating this season

You can't make this stuff up.

Another loss, another injury: Mo Williams hurt as Cleveland Cavaliers lose 13th straight, 127-99 to Denver

DENVER, Colo. -- Byron Scott had a few words of advice before his team took the floor against the Nuggets on Saturday night at Pepsi Center.

"Don't think about the flight home yet," he said. "Don't think about the day off. We still have a game to play, and I still expect us to come out and compete. If we do that, then the trip back home will be a little bit more pleasurable no matter what the results are. I expect us to come out and play hard."

Good luck with that. The plane could have left at halftime. The Cavs tied a franchise record by giving up 80 points in the first half en route to a 127-99 defeat. They lost every game on this five-game trip and have now lost 13 straight, 23 of 24 and 19 straight on the road to fall to 8-32 overall.

"Too much Denver Nuggets and not enough Cavs," Scott said with a wry smile.

Does it even matter that Ramon Sessions led the Cavs with 21 points, Antawn Jamison added 17 or J.J. Hickson had 13 points and nine rebounds?

Or that Nene had 22 points and Chauncey Billups and Arron Afflalo each had 21 as the Nuggets improved to 23-16?

Didn't think so.

The Cavs, down to eight players after Ryan Hollins left to attend a family funeral, lost Mo Williams five minutes in with a strained left left hip flexor. Perhaps Scott's best option would have been to suit up himself.

"Mo went down and that just ate us up for the rest of the night," Scott said. "The young guys played hard. They really put out a great effort. I thought JJ put out a great effort as well. Playing last night against Utah and then coming in here back-to-back kind of got to him finally. I think the minutes he's been playing finally caught up to him.

"The effort was great. We just played a team with too much fire-power against us, as short-handed as we are right now."

 

Of course, the fact that the Cavs once again declined to play any defense contributed to that. Denver shot 58 percent overall and 62 percent from 3-point range (13-of-21) and had 24 fast-break points. But the Cavs did hold their own in the middle. They were outscored in the paint, 60-54, but only out-rebounded 49-47, and actually outscored the Nuggets on second-chance points, 17-15.

"We fought," Sessions said. "Ain't much more you can ask for with seven guys out there and some guys playing out of position. We're not here to complain or anything. We played hard, Denver was a better team tonight."

The Cavs never seem to respond until they're down by 10. So, naturally, they fell behind, 24-14, with about four minutes left in the first quarter. Then Jamison, who missed his first five shots, hit a pair of the leaning, off-balance baskets he has become known for to start the Cavs on a 7-0 run that brought them back within 24-21.

But more lax defense allowed Denver to close the quarter on a 10-1 run. In numbers that have become all too familiar, the Cavs shot 27 percent in the first quarter, the Nuggets shot 62 percent, 80 percent from 3-point range (4-of-5) and held an 18-10 edge on the boards.

But the Cavs keep topping themselves. Or is that bottoming? The 80 points in the first half was a season high, beating the 73 they gave up at Minnesota on Dec. 4. The Nuggets shot 71 percent from the field, including 85 percent from 3-point range (6-of-7) in the second quarter as the Cavs continue to treat the 3-point line as if it's radioactive.

For Cleveland Cavaliers, progression is the same against Utah Jazz, with flat finish

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah — Cavaliers coach Byron Scott admitted he was curious to see how his team would perform in its first game after Tuesday's humiliating defeat at the hands of the Los Angeles Lakers.

In that 112-57 loss, the Cavs set team records for fewest points in a game and largest margin of defeat. But after a good practice Thursday and a decent shootaround Friday morning, Scott wondered what Friday night's game against the Utah Jazz would bring.

"I'm anxious to see how we respond," Scott said before the game. "We're either going to come out fighting or we're going to lay down. There is no in between."

Actually, there was. The Cavs started slowly, fell behind by 22 in the first half, rebounded strongly in the third quarter to get within six but caved in the fourth in a 121-99 loss to the Jazz on Friday night at EnergySolutions Arena.

Antawn Jamison, playing in the 900th game of his career, had 26 points and 11 rebounds but the Cavs lost their 12th straight, their 22nd of 23 overall, and their 18th straight on the road to fall to 8-31. J.J. Hickson added 21 points and 14 rebounds, while Mo Williams had 14 points and 10 assists.

Deron Williams had 26 points and nine assists for the Jazz, who improved to 27-13. Utah had 32 assists on 47 baskets.

"It was a game of two halves," Scott said. "It was one way or another. It was the way I didn't want to respond in the first half and the way I wanted to see us respond in the second half. So it was a little bit of both.

"The first half, it was terrible -- 70 points is way too many. We've got to make sure the second half, that last 24 minutes that we just played . . . is how we've got to play against Denver. We've got to be that solid defensively. I thought the fourth quarter we just ran out of gas because we were fighting uphill so much."

The Cavs quickly fell behind, 16-9, and it looked as if it was going to be another long night. But they pulled themselves together and were within 25-23 on a 3-pointer by Jamario Moon with about two minutes left in the first quarter. Deron Williams, who had 13 points and three assists in the first period, scored the Jazz's final six points of the period as Utah took a 31-25 lead. It wasn't a great showing by any means, but the Cavs showed more life than they did at any point on Tuesday.

Then the bottom fell out. Before the Cavs knew what hit them, the Jazz went on an 18-6 tear that left the Cavs in a familiar position -- way, way behind.

By halftime, Utah led, 70-50. All the old familiar problems continued, most of them defensively. Utah shot 61.7 percent in the first half (29-of-47), outscored Cleveland in the paint, 34-20, and on the fast break, 10-4.

The Cavs shot just 44 percent in the first half while committing 12 turnovers, which led to 19 points for Utah. Manny Harris had four, and J.J. Hickson and Mo Williams had three each. Four of those came in a dizzying minute that saw Utah's lead climb from 38-31 to 44-31 early in the second quarter.

But Hickson scored nine points in the first six minutes of the third quarter as Cleveland outscored Utah, 18-8, to open the second half and cut that 20-point deficit in half. A 3-pointer by Manny Harris actually got the Cavs within 84-78 with 4:03 left in the third quarter, but Deron Williams found Paul Millsap and Raja Bell for jumpers that restored Utah's lead to 89-78 with 3:05 left.

By the end of the third quarter, Utah still led, 93-83. Then the Jazz used an 8-2 run at the start of the fourth quarter to pretty much settle the issue.

"I was pleased to see the second half that we came out and had some fight in us, came out and played hard and got ourselves back into the ball game," Scott said. "I was very pleased by that, but very disappointed by the way we started as well.

"The first half, we just didn't execute defensively at all. The second half, we did a much, much better job of executing on the defensive end, and that got us a chance to get back into the game. We've got to understand we've got to do that for 48 minutes. We can't make up stuff. That's what our guys were doing the first half. They were making up stuff defensively that we just don't do."

Like a broken record: Cavaliers' 11th loss in a row sets team marks in futility

LOS ANGELES — For Antawn Jamison, this was rock bottom.

"It can't get any worse than this," he said after the Cavaliers suffered the worst loss in team history, 112-57, to the Lakers on Tuesday night in Staples Center. "If it is, y'all going to have to help me. I don't know how much of this I can take. This, by far, is the bottom.

"Fifty-five points? That's, like, impossible," Jamison said. "We're professional athletes. How do you lose by 55 points? I don't care who you're playing against. I mean, if this doesn't hurt . . . I don't understand how we're able to have conversations in the locker room. There's nothing to talk about.

"We have to do some soul searching quick because no matter who we play, right now they feel like they can beat us. If we don't have a sense of pride and just play for yourself or something . . . this might be one of the worst teams to go through a season. The frustrating part about it is I know we're better than this. I don't know. Something has to change."

But nothing changes for these Cavaliers. Another game, another loss, another injury.

In setting club records for margin of defeat and fewest points in a game, they lost their 11th straight, their 21st in 22 overall, and their 17th straight on the road to fall to 8-30. The previous record loss came in the Cavs' first season when they lost, 141-87, on Nov. 2, 1970. The previous record for fewest points in a game was 59 at San Antonio on March 25, 1997. The 57 points also was a Lakers' record low for an opponent, and this was the third-largest margin of victory in Lakers history.

Meanwhile, Christian Eyenga, who wasn't even supposed to play because of a sprained right ankle, played six minutes before tweaking it in the third quarter. About the same time, Cavs guard Daniel Gibson arrived behind the bench after rehabbing his sprained left ankle in Cleveland for a week. He hopes to be able to take part in practice on Thursday.

But the Cavs sure could have used him on Tuesday -- along with the Marines.

"I thought that was embarrassing," said Cavs coach Byron Scott, who won three championships as a player with the Lakers. "We knew it wasn't going to be easy, but to come out and not compete? There's no excuse for that. I'm embarrassed because of the way we performed. I'm a Cleveland Cavalier right now and the way we performed last night, that's embarrassing to me.

"I had one other team [New Jersey] come in and I thought we looked a little nervous. But that was the NBA Finals. I haven't had another team come in and look that scared."

Cavs players seemed as embarrassed as their coach.

An hour after the game, guard Mo Williams tweeted: "This [expletive] is embarrassing. I feel like I can't even show my face in Cleve."

The loquacious Jamison was running out of words to express himself.

"In 13 years, I can honestly say I never felt that embarrassed to be on a basketball court," he said. "We knew what we were up against -- the defending champions, playing at home. I don't know. I guess as soon as we saw the 'Lakers' on their jerseys we just . . . I don't know. But it was definitely, by far, one of the most embarrassing moments that I've been a part of affiliated with the game of basketball. There's nothing else you can really say."

This article, written by Mary Schmitt Boyer of the Plain Dealer, can be found at Cleveland.com

Preview - Cavs at Lakers: Manny Harris vs. Kobe Bryant

The Cavaliers continue their tough stretch on the road tonight as they face the defending NBA champions, the Los Angeles Lakers.

Manny Harris is likely to be matched up against arguably the best player in the Association, Kobe Bryant.

This got me to thinking, how do Manny Harris' rookie numbers stack up with Bryant's so far?

Let's take a look at the numbers.

Kobe Bryant was drafted in 1996 by the Charlotte Hornets, who traded the would-be legend to Los Angeles.  During his rookie campaign, Kobe appeared in 71 games, starting 6 of those. 

The Black Mamba averaged 15 minutes per game during the 1997 season.  He never scored more than 24 points in a single game, in what was a tough rookie year for him.

Manny Harris has appeared in 17 games this season, starting 5 times.  He's averaging 15 minutes per game, although with recent injuries, that number is surely to sky-rocket.  In the last game alone, he played 41 minutes because Byron Scott believed he was the best player on the floor.

In the game vs. Phoenix, Manny finished with 27 points and only took 13 shots to do it. 

He's far more aggressive than Kobe was in his rookie season, and definitely more important to the team.

At this point in their rookie seasons, they were both shooting 40% from the field, and 81% from the free throw line.  The resemblances are strikingly similar.  Both are scoring shooting guards who play tenacious defense.

The difference is that in their rookie season, Manny looks more ready to contribute on a nightly basis than Bryant did at the same point. 

The main reason?  Kobe went straight from high school to the NBA and Manny decided to spend two years at polishing his skills at the University of Michigan.  (Shoutout to Dylan of UMHoops.com, we appreciate the love)

Surprisingly, the Cavaliers are the underdog in tonight's matchup.  Might have something to do with the fact that Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum could potentially score 40 points each against our non-existent interior defense.

Byron Scott will hopefully play #6 big minutes tonight to see if the game in Phoenix was a fluke. I'm convinced it wasn't.

I'm not saying Manny Harris is better than Kobe Bryant right now.

I am saying that Manny will outplay Kobe Bryant tonight at the Staples Center.

Suns 108, Cavaliers 100: The Manny Harris Show

Just for the record, I've been right about Manny Harris all along.

The most talented player on the Cavs roster turned his game up to another level, and led the Cavaliers to a close defeat in Phoenix.

Manny Harris finished with a career-high 27 points on 7/13 shooting in his coming-out party, and surely solidifed his spot in the rotation (if not the starting lineup).  He also added 8 rebounds, and 3 assists in 41 minutes on the floor. 

He would have had even more assists if Jamison and Mo Williams weren't busy wasting his dimes, by bricking 3 pointers.  Antawn and Mo finished with a combined 1/10 from beyond the perimeter. Mo made 2 of the 11 shots he attempted.  Jamison finished with 23 points, but took 23 shots to get there.  In a perfect world, all 34 of those shots get redistributed to #6.  They lost us the game, not Manny Harris.

Manny took the right shots, drove when the opportunity presented itself, and was all over the floor. 

Manny even drew a huge charge with 3 minutes left in the game.

Right now, he is our best offensive option.  When he drives to the lane, he has an unbelieveable ability to change hands last second and finish lay-ups in a highlight-reel manner.

 It was the first game where Manny didn't think twice about shooting the basketball, and he played with an aggressive mindset for almost the entire game.  He has the offensive skills to create and make his own shot, he just needs the green light.  And it seems like at least for now, he has it.

Byron Scott, your thoughts?

"Manny Harris is playing with a lot of confidence right now."

This entire season, Manny was saying all the right things.  An undrafted rookie who wasn't even supposed to make the team has worked hard in practice, and proven he belongs in this league.  He stays late to shoot jump shots, and his hard work is paying off.

He consistently gave 100% effort on the defensive end.  Anyone who has seen him practice would know he's an unparalleled offensive talent, who has just been waiting for this exact moment to unleash his deadly offensive swagger. 

Campy Russell might have said it best during the postgame show, "I thought Manny Harris had the hot hand, and I think we should have gone to him more."

Oh yeah, the Cavaliers also lost their 10th game in a row, the second such streak of the season.  At this point, who really cares?  We're not making the playoffs, and I'm trying to just focus on enjoying watching this team compete on a nightly basis.

Byron Scott was pleased with the effort, but still doesn't want to watch losing basketball.

“I am extremely happy with the effort. I thought our guys played their butts off and played extremely hard. I’m really proud of our young guys, Manny, Christian and Samardo, I thought they really did an excellent job. It was that fourth quarter, the last few minutes we just seemed to, I wouldn’t say fall apart but we seem to do something we just can’t do. I addressed that with Christian, you know three fouls that sent them to the free throw line and gave them some easy points instead of making them earn them. That’s lack of experience from young guys but other than that I’m very proud and very happy with how hard we played.”

J.J. Hickson played excellent basketball as well.  He rebounding was picked up and he was rewarded with more playing time.  He finished with 23 points and 17 rebounds, almost Kevin Love-esque numbers. 

If J.J. can get us 9 offensive rebounds every night, we have a chance at winning most of those games.

Christian Eyenga continued his strong play and played productive minutes while displaying his world-class athleticism yet again.  He might have injured his ankle, but returned to the game and hopefully it was nothing serious.

Ramon Sessions continued his impressive streak of dunking out-of-nowhere.  To be honest, I think Ramon is a better option than Mo Williams right now. 

All this on the day the Cavaliers find out Anderson Varejao is likely done for the season.  That one hurts.

At least we can sit back and enjoy the Manny Harris show.

Undermanned Cavaliers get overwhelmed yet again as Golden State cruises

"The thing about this right now, when we turn this all around, it's going to be so much more gratifying. That's how I look at it." - Byron Scott

OAKLAND, Calif. — What was left of the Cavaliers was simply not enough to stop Golden State on Friday night as the Warriors ran off with a testy 116-98 victory in Oracle Arena.

Cleveland's Mo Williams and Golden State's David Lee were called for flagrant fouls in the second half, and Williams got a technical as the Cavs suffered their ninth straight loss, their 19th in 20 games, and dropped to 8-29 despite 21 points from former Warrior Antawn Jamison.

Monte Ellis had 32 points, and Lee had 22 points and 14 rebounds for the Warriors, who improved to 15-21.

The game capped a long, frustrating day for the Cavs and coach Byron Scott. Reporters approached Scott cautiously before the team's pregame shootaround.

"Is it still appropriate to say good morning?" one of them asked.

Across the floor, Anderson Varejao had taken the walking boot off his sprained right ankle and was getting treatment next to Joey Graham, who remains out with a strained right quad.

Behind Scott, Anthony Parker was telling the media how his back had tightened up in the second half of the Dallas game and still wasn't loose enough for him to play.

Back in Cleveland, Leon Powe was having surgery on a torn meniscus in his right knee, while Daniel Gibson was rehabbing his sprained left ankle.

But Scott remained almost defiantly optimistic.

"It's still appropriate to say good morning," he said.

With losses mounting along with the injuries, he dismissed any talk of a Cleveland curse.

Scott also dismissed the notion his former employer, the New Jersey Nets, was cursed for selling Julius Erving to the Sixers in 1976.

And yet, he admitted this season was close to getting beyond what he had envisioned as the worst-case scenario.

"I didn't envision these types of injuries," he said, calling the loss of Varejao and Gibson "devastating."

"But you know what? I'm equipped for this. I understand this.

"I'm able to deal with it."

"Every morning I wake up with a smile knowing I'm going to work to get better as a coach and get these guys better as players. That's how I approach it. In the long run, it's going to be something that's going to really benefit not only the players but the whole organization."

"The biggest thing I think that's in me is that I always look at the glass as being half full. I have a positive spin on everything. The thing about this right now, when we turn this all around, it's going to be so much more gratifying. That's how I look at it."

And when will that be?

"Sooner rather than later," he said. "Nobody knows what's happening next year with this [possible] lockout and all that going on.

"But I truly believe next year we'll be a much better basketball team . . . if there is a year."

He was asked if it's too late to save this year.

"I don't think it's too late but, obviously, time is running out," he said, "and when you have the guys injured that we have injured, it really makes it doubly hard.

"I never give up on the season. That's just not in me. I'm going to fight until it's game 82. I want these guys to be the same way. That's just my makeup. I don't care. So I would say right now, no it's not too late. And I'll say that until game 81 or 82 of the season."

This story, written by Mary Schmitt Boyer of the Plain Dealer, can be found at Cleveland.com

Preview - Cavs at Warriors: Does the streak end in Golden State?

The Cavaliers need to win tonight.

The schedule doesn't get easier; Golden State provides for the best opportunity to take a game on the road.

All that being said, this team is very thin right now as we struggle to get our guys healthy.  Boobie will be out for a significant period of time, Parker is still dealing with his back injury, Varejao is all sorts of banged up: facial fracture, ribs, and now an ankle injury, and we're also without Joey Graham and Leon Powe. 

With Powe out and Varejao questionable, will Ryan Hollins start at center?  Does J.J. Hickson see some time at the 5 tonight, and will he make amends for missing practice earlier this week?

Manny Harris will start in place of the injured Daniel Gibson.  Will he finally get into an offensive groove and unleash his potential?  Manny has already proved his worth on the defensive end, and now it's time for him to step up his offensive output.

Antawn Jamison has been playing excellent basketball, can he possibly score 30 points again for the 3rd straight game?  His 3-point shot has looked silky smooth in the last few games, and the Cavaliers have played through him more times than not.

Christian Eyenga should look to improve on his impressive outing vs. the Raptors.  He very well could be the most athletic player on our roster, and we need his energy and intensity if we're going to start winning some games.

Newcomer Alonzo Gee will likely start at 3-guard again.  He brings athleticism and defensive effort, similar to Eyenga.

Will Mo Williams return to his old self?  He has looked sluggish, and out-of-rhythm since returning from his injury. 

Can the Cavaliers stop the likes of Stephen Curry, Monta Ellis, David Lee and the rest of the Warriors? 

This is a tough time for the franchise.  If we don't win tonight, this losing streak could continue for a long time.

Raptors 120, Cavs 105: 8-Game Losing Streaks and Terrible Team Defense

Antawn Jamison might just be playing his way out of town. 

The 34 year old veteran is taking advantage of the situation he's in, and notched 30+ points for the second consecutive game.  Antawn swished 5 of 7 three pointers, and finished with 32 for the game.

It takes more than one player to win a game.  Despite Jamison's solid performances, the Cavaliers succumbed to the Toronto Raptors in a game where defense was nonexistent.  At least we can say there's one thing consistent about this team: We always seem to play well in the 1st half, and then come out of the locker room with very little energy and get run off the court.

The Cavaliers' defensive effort in this game resembled something of a mockery of professional basketball.  Toronto scored 62 points in the paint and shot 57% from the field.

Raptors guard Jose Calderon shot a scorching 80% from the field on his way to 20 points.  Bargnani led the way with 25, Barbosa added 22, and high-flyer Julian Wright contributed 15 points.

Don't take my word for it, Coach Scott and Antawn weren't shy about the awful performance on the defensive end.  Byron Scott was not exactly thrilled with the effort, and talked about the team's weak defensive mentality after a relatively decent offensive showing.

Q: Byron, why do teams consistently score at will against the Cavs?

A: "That's a good question. A lot of it means, to me, that we're not ready to defend. When a guy catches the ball, now we're trying to get down into a defensive stance (and it's) too late. Our weak side defense, which we work on almost every day, are caught watching their man, instead of knowing exactly where the ball is on the weak side, so we can take away dribble penetration to the basket. We just didn't do a good job of guarding anybody on that floor…it has to be our staple and guys have to understand that. We have to take it personal. When you're one-on-one with a guy, it has to be personal. I don't think, at least watching the game, when those guys scored…it didn't hurt. It has to hurt. It has to be painful."

As for Antawn, (while he had to be somewhat satisfied with scoring 30+ on his own bobblehead night) he wasn't pleased with the team defense either.

Q: Antawn, why do we give up uncontested 3 pointers and allow teams like Toronto to score 120 points on our home court?

A:  "I've been in the league for a while and to have so many teams shoot so well against you on the three-point line, I don't think I have experienced the way teams are shooting the three-ball against us. I don't know if teams playing us have a lot of confidence or what. (The coaches) preach to run guys off the line and in all honesty, it's common sense to know certain teams are really going to shoot it and certain teams are not. There have been instances with a couple of teams (where) we have been there and they just couldn't miss. It's hard when teams are knocking down as many three-pointers that the teams we are playing are knocking down. It seems like a stop here or a stop there makes a difference, and that's when a three-pointer or whatever really puts us behind. We have just got to do a better job of, like I said, communicating and listening to the schemes because I know the schemes are great schemes. We are just not doing a great job as far as executing them."

The Cavaliers are not losing games because of a lack of offense; Jamison, Ramon Sessions and others are contributing and scoring enough points to win these games.  It's the defensive effort and intensity that allows these close contests to slip away.

Daniel Gibson left the game in obvious pain; apparently 'Boobie G' rolled his right ankle and could miss significant time.  What does that mean for the rotation?

J.J. Hickson didn't play a single minute last night.  Why?  He missed a mandatory practice.

Christian Eyenga did play, and made a postive impact scoring 16 points off the bench.  Byron Scott liked what he saw:

"I thought Christian was good. I thought he took the challenge defensively. We switched him out on Jose and I thought he did a pretty good job, but again, he's still young. He made a couple of mistakes. The more experience he gets, the more game time he gets, the better he's going to get. We saw flashes tonight. I'm very happy with Christian. He's come a long way and he's continued to get better. He works his butt off and he's going to be a good player."

With the injury to Gibson and Anthony Parker now missing time due to back spasms, Scott will likely be forced to keep Eyenga and Manny Harris in the rotation.  With an embarrassing record of 8-27, it might not be the worst time to see what the young players can do.

Things don't get easier from here, the team heads out West on a 5-game road trip.  Awaiting our disappointing squad are the Warriors, Suns, Lakers, Jazz, and Nuggets. Is it sad to hope for 1 win out of those 5?

While the team continues to struggle, the loyalty of Cavs' fans remains.  Hopefully something clicks soon, and this team starts winning some games.  As for the time being, the Cavaliers are almost harder to watch than an all-day Jersey Shore marathon.

Mavericks 104, Cavs 95: Another moral victory, another close defeat

On paper, most had this one chalked up as another blowout of epic proportions.

Even without perennial All-Star Dirk Nowitzki, The Mavericks came out of the gate on a 12-2 run and we all thought it could get ugly in downtown Cleveland.

But the Cavaliers were not about to disappoint the home crowd again, and fought back to end the 1st quarter on a positive note. Ramon Sessions picked up where he left off and had another memorable dunk in the 1st quarter as the Cavs fought back to fend off the Mavericks fast start. 

Antawn Jamison found his 3 point stroke and the Cavaliers finished the quarter with an 18-6 run of their own and the Mavericks lead was trimmed from 14 to a mere 2 points.

Christian Eyenga made his first appearance early in the 2nd quarter after the team recalled him from the Development League earlier this week.  It was good to see his athleticism.  Eyenga has improved his defense while also continuing to develop his 3 point shot. 

Hopefully in time, he will become a regular in the rotation.  While he still needs to learn the nuances and pace of the NBA game, he could prove to be a valuable player of this team. 

After a few Mavericks 3 pointers gave the Mavericks a 40-30 lead, Ramon decided it was time to throw down another dunk.  Seriously, what has gotten into this guy?  At that point in the game, Sessions was 5/6 with 10 points, and two powerful dunks.  He's not afraid to be the offensive spark-plug when the time is right. 

Fast-forward 30 seconds later, where Christian Eyenga gets his first memorable dunk in a Cavaliers uniform.  Mo Williams set him up on a fastbreak, and Eyenga finished with a wild two-handed finish at the rim.

The Mavericks continued their hot shooting from the perimeter and a couple 3's later the lead was back to 15.  It shouldn't be a surprise that Ramon Sessions brought the Cavaliers back, with two consecutive layups at the offensive end.  He really is starting to turn into our best offensive option at this point in time. 

Those baskets cut the lead to 51-42 Mavs, and we weren't done just yet.   

We caught a lucky break when a Manny Harris jumper bounced off the rim and in, clearly after the shot clock had expired. The Cavaliers shot 64% in the 2nd quarter, 58% for the half, and the effort was there. Surprisingly we only shot two 3's in the half. 

The halftime deficit was 8, and even with our 10 turnovers, we were convinced that we still had a chance. 

The 2nd half didn't start quite like the Cavaliers envisioned it, going down by 14 in a matter of minutes.  Back to back 3's by Mo Williams and Jamison cut the lead to 8 but another deep Deshawn Stevenson 3 put us right back in the hole.

It seemed like every time the Cavaliers were about ready to make a run, someone on the Mavericks hit a shot to bury our hopes.

After a mindless pass by Eyenga that got picked by Jason Kidd, Mo Williams chased him down and emphatically swatted away a layup attempt. 

But soon the Cavs were down 17 and things were looking grim.

After a few solid possessions we cut the lead down to 77-67, and headed into the 4th hoping to turn things around and end the painful losing streak.

The 4th quarter played out like many others this season; the Cavaliers just didn't have what it takes to beat one of the best teams in the NBA. Granted, we were without Varejao, Gibson, and Joey Graham.. but it probably wouldn't have made much of a difference.

With a talented backcourt in Kidd and Terry, to go along with new found post-presence Tyson Chandler, the Cavaliers were simply out manned and dropped their 7th straight in a row.  Deshawn Stevenson lit up Quicken Loans Arena for five 3 pointers and 20 points, and led the way for the Dallas.  All of the Mavericks starters played well.

Antawn Jamison played an excellent game scoring 35 points on 14/22 shooting, but it's hard to win when you don't get much help elsewhere.  Sessions played his heart out and finished with 19, but no other Cavaliers would finish in double digits.  Mo Williams looked out of sync, possibly still feeling the effects of his injury.  Hopefully this team can put 48 minutes together soon and come out with a win vs. Toronto or Golden State later this week.  Cavs fans deserve better than this. 

Injury update:  Apparently Anderson Varejao fractured a bone in his cheek and could be the next in a long line of Cavalier-greats to wear a face protector mask.  Lamond Murray, Vitaly Potapenko, Zydrunas Ilgauskas and #23 all once wore the mask Richard Hamilton has now made famous.

Bulls 100, Cavs 91: Not the way we wanted to start the New Year

New year, same story.

We thought with 2010 behind us, we could focus on a new team and a new year. In the back (or front) of our minds, we knew what to expect.

The Cavaliers suffered their 6th straight loss, in a game that the Cavs controlled for most of the 1st half. Missing key players might have played into the defeat, but this is also giving younger players a chance to step up and prove that they can contribute to this team.

You can't really predict who is going to show up in the starting lineup at this point, and last night was no different. The starting 5 consisted of Sessions, Parker, Harris, Jamison, along with Leon Powe who earned his first start of the season.

J.J. Hickson finished with a team high 21 points, and shot well from the field as he made 9 out of 16 attempts he put up. 

Hickson has also started to contribute where we need him to: namely rebounding.  Byron Scott has put an emphasis on his rebounding and has stripped him of his starting role for apparently just that. Over the last several games, it looks as if J.J. has really put forth a solid effort on the boards, and will likely be rewarded with more minutes as he continues to solidify his all-around game.

Manny Harris played 25 fairly efficient minutes, and provided the team with a boost as he nailed a rhythm 3 right at the end of the first half. He is a player with significant upside, and we will be following his progress closely.

Antawn Jamison added 19 points to the effort, but shot poorly going 5/16 from the field. A few of his uncontested shots in the first half even failed to draw iron.  His often-consistent 3 point shot simply just wasn't falling.

Anthony Parker was another sore subject, as his 3/14 game might have been the worst of the season.  Of the six 3 pointers AP attempted, only 1 fell.  A few of those shots were backbreakers, as we needed a 3 to complete a comeback the Cavs were mustering.

All-in-all, this game could have been worse.  The Cavs held a siginifcant lead in the first half before giving it away, and fell all the way down to behind 15 in the 3rd quarter.  They wouldn't give up though; We fought to cut the lead to 91-94 and had a legitimate chance at winning the game.

With Gibson, Varejao, and Mo Williams still out of the lineup it's going to be hard to compete on a nightly basis.  When Parker is playing 40 minutes and shooting 21% from the field, this team doesn't have the offensive firepower to compete with Derrick Rose, Boozer and the rest of the Bulls.

The Cavs play host to the Dallas Mavericks in what will surely be a tough back-to-back.  Although the Mavs are reeling without Dirk Nowitzki in the lineup, they still have a talented enough team to handle a Cavaliers team riddled with injury. 

It's about time the Cavaliers ended this pesky losing streak.  January's schedule should hopefully provide for a few more wins than did December.  All we can hope for is that our depleted roster plays well for 48 minutes.  If not, we're in for a long season. (We already are)

What we missed during our Cavalier Hiatus (Few wins, Many losses)

We took a little bit of a break, but we're back.

The Cavaliers are in the midst of yet another significant losing streak, and officially ended the month of December with 1 win.  We've lost 14 of 15, and there's not a whole lot to cheer for as we drop games to the likes of Charlotte, Minnesota, Sacramento, Detroit, and Philadelphia to name a few.

The franchise that won 66 games last year is now 8-24 on the season, on pace for close to a 20 win campaign.  Yikes. 

As Antawn Jamison put it, everyone in Cleveland can now put 2010 behind us and focus on the New Year.  2010 might prove to have been the most destructive, tumultuous year in the history of the franchise.  Our best shot at a championship disappeared overnight, and effectively ended the LeBron James era. 

That's not to say we haven't had some great moments this season; there have been a few.

For one, Cavalier-legend Darius Miles showed up to Quicken Loans Arena as a training camp invite of the Charlotte Bobcats.  Although he traded in the famous dreadlocks and double-fist head bump for a shaved head and old knees, it was still a joy to see D-Miles grace us with his presence.

We also managed to take down the Boston Celtics opening night, in a game that had a playoff atmosphere and left you feeling good about our chances for this season (Note: this was a false alarm). 

We watched as one of the most anticipated spectacles in all of sport took place in our backyard, as the now-maligned James made his return to the city scorned.  We booed him as loud as our voiceboxes would allow, chanted obscene and hateful things towards him, and watched as he destroyed our team defense en route to a 38 point beatdown that will forever be dubbed as, "The Return".

More recently, we watched Mo Williams hit a game-winner over the Bucks' Brandon Jennings, a much needed shot that lifted the spirits of a team in desperate need of anything resembling a win.

Antawn Jamison hit an 80 foot heave (forget that it was after the 1st quarter buzzer had sounded), in front of friends and family and a hostile Charlotte crowd of about 10 thousand.

Later that same game, Ramon Sessions provided us with what might have been the highlight of the season:  A power throwdown over Nazr Mohammed.  Dunks are a rare occurence this season, unless you count J.J. Hickson getting dunked on by James Harden in an old-fashioned Oklahoma City beatdown.

We've also "witnessed" the emergence of a future star, Manny Harris.  Manny's defensive intensity combined with his unlimited offensive potential will serve as the backbone of a Cavaliers' rise to prominence in the years to come.

No one can be sure how the roster will change this season; Jawad Williams has already gotten the axe, and Alonzo Gee has made a favorable first impression.  Byron Scott has made it clear that he would like to see a few more post-players added to our depleted roster.

Many are speculating that the team will attempt to trade away higher-salary contracts (Jamison) and play for next year's draft.  This franchise has already stockpiled draft picks and we hope to make a big splash by landing some big-name players. 

To say this season has been an epic fail would not be entirely inaccurate.  There are moments where you think we have a chance, and then the opposing team shuts the door.

There's one thing that has been constant throughout our 8 win campaign.  We always seem to play fairly well in the first half, and manage to keep the score close.  It's when the 4th quarter starts that the Cavs can't help but find a way to give away close games.  We gave the Heat a run for their money in Miami, but Wade and LeBron made sure we wouldn't come out of South Beach with a win.

All that being said, if you're still not a fan,then you never really were. The Youth Movement is upon us.  Byron Scott is the right coach for this team.  This is simply a minor setback.  This, is Cavaliers basketball.