Jamison's Season Over

In what has been a painful season for the Cleveland Cavaliers. Their season just got more painful. Jamison fractured his left little finger during Sunday's game at the Q against Philadelphia.

Antawn was examined on Monday at the Cleveland Clinic and x-rays show that surgery will be required to repair the fractured finger. The surgery will be scheduled tomorrow at the Marymount Surgery Center.

The injury is a huge blow to the NBA worst. The Cavaliers have been hit with injuries all season long. Anderson Varejao who arguably is the Cavaliers best player has been out for most of the season with a torn peroneus tendon in the right ankle. Boobie Gibson, and former Cavaliers Mo Williams and Leon Powe also battled injuries.

However, Jamison's injury is one of the biggest blows. Antwan Jamison was without question the Cavaliers leader and scoring leader at 18 points per game. Jamison also averaged 6.7 rebounds a game and was a true professional in the locker room.

With Jamison gone the Cavaliers will get even younger, putting more minutes on the rookies. Jamison's injury will give Samardo Samuels and Ryan Hollins more minutes. It also will open things up for newly acquired Luke Harangody and Semih Erdan.

Preview - Cavs. vs. 76ers

Today at 5 p.m the Cavs host the Philadelphia 76ers.

Everyone wants to know if the newest members of our franchise will be in uniform, but it's still unknown at this point.

Baron Davis, Luke Harangody, and Semih Erden all missed practice while taking physicals and getting settled in.

In the last meeting with the 76ers, the Cavaliers were blown out 117-97. 

Earlier in the season however, the Cavs won two contests against Philadelphia, in games where the entire team looked impressive.

Ramon Sessions and Antawn Jamison will look to continue their strong play as of late.

Speaking of Sessions, Coach Scott declared that it's not out of the question for both Sessions and the newly acquired Baron Davis to start in the backcourt together.  That would be a tough offensive tandem to deal with.

Whether or not Baron will see any playing time tonight is highly questionable, as he has yet to learn any of the plays or even attend a single practice with his new team.

Slowing down Andre Igoudala will be the first defensive priority. 

Also important will be containing Thaddeus young, who scored 26 points on 92% percent shooting in the last meeting vs. the Cavaliers.

Hickson must rebound effectively for us to win this game, and we need production out of all our players. 

We very well could be short-handed if Byron decides to have the new guys sit and watch this one.

In our last 4 games, the Cavs are 3-1.  Those 3 wins came against the Lakers, Knicks, and Clippers, all solid basketball teams right now. 

Will we finally be able to say the Cavaliers are on a winning streak?

Getting to know Semih Erdan and Luke Harangody

The trade that might be under the radar for the Cavaliers might be the trade with Boston. The Cavaliers received Semih Erdan and Luke Harangody for a 2013 second-rounder.

That is because the Cavaliers acquired a bigger name of Baron Davis from the Clippers and an unprotected first-round selection in the upcoming draft.

However, how much do you really know about these two players?

Semih Erdan is from Turkey and played professionally until he was selected 60th overall in the 2008 NBA Draft by the Boston Celtics.

Erdan has been around the block. In 2004 he played in the Adriatic League in which he averaged 4.6 points and 3.2 rebounds. The 7-footer also appeared in the YUBA league and in the Euro league.

In 2006, Erdan played in the Turkish league and averaged 6.5 points and 5.4 rebounds in just over 18 minutes a game. He also played in nine games in the Euro League and scored a high of 14 points in a game.

Semih entered the draft in 2008 while he was still under a one-year contract with the Fenerbahce Ulker. He did not return to Ulker as he was selected by the Boston Celtics.

Erdan may not have gaudy numbers, however, Erdan has a lot of potential and talent. He is a tough minded and hustle guy that will do all of your dirty work. Erdan has great footwork as well and will need some work on both ends of the floor.

With more minutes available with the Cavaliers, Erdan could finally live up to his 7-foot frame.

As for Luke Harangody, he is remembered as the star player that played at Notre Dame. I know Austin Carr loves that.

Harangody averaged 11.2 points and 6.2 rebounds a game as a freshman in the Irish uniform. He was named to the Big East All-Rookie first team. In his second season, Harangody improved his game vastly. He averaged 20.4 points a game and 10.6 rebounds. He was named conference Player of the Year and 1st Team All Big East team.

With most players leaving for the NBA, Harangody decided to stay for his Junior season. However, Harangody got in trouble with the NCAA rulings and troubled with eligibility. Harangody entered the NBA Draft after his Junior year.

Luke was selected by the Boston Celtics in the second-round and scored a career high of 17 points and 11 rebounds against the Toronto Raptors.

Luke will bring toughness and a an underrated offensive game. He can shoot from the outside or score from the inside. Luke will look to improve greatly with more minutes the Cavaliers can offer him.

Both players will look to join Baron Davis in Cleveland and possibly play against Philadelphia on Sunday.

Getting to know Baron Davis

As all of you know by now, Baron Davis is one of the newest members of your very own Cleveland Cavaliers.

Baron Davis was born in Los Angeles and has played basketball his entire life. He earned a scholarship to attend Crossroads School. For those of you who don't know, Crossroads is a prestigious private high school in Santa Monica, California.

Davis lead his high school team to a championship and was named Gatorade National Player of the Year and a Parade All-American. With his success in high school, he earned a scholarship to play basketball for UCLA.

Davis was named Pac-10 Freshman of the Year and made the All-American Third Team in his sophomore year in 1999. In his two years at UCLA he averaged 13.6 points and 5 assists a game.

Baron Davis then decided to come out of college after his second year and entered into the 1999 NBA draft. Davis was the third pick back in '99 by the Charlotte Hornets.

He was eventually traded to the Golden State Warriors for Speedy Claxton and Dale Davis. Baron led the Warriors to their first playoff appearance since 1994. In the opening round, the Warriors played the top seeded Dallas Mavericks and MVP Dirk Nowitzki.

Davis led the Warriors past the Mavericks and Golden State won the series 4-2. It was considered one of the biggest upsets in NBA history. Baron's performance was labeled "outrageous and stunningly athletic". Baron Davis was considered one of the best point guards in the game and averaged 21.6 points a game and 8.0 assists a game.

Recently, Davis agreed to a 5 year, $65 million dollar deal with the Los Angeles Clippers.  On February 24. 2011 the Cleveland Cavaliers traded for Davis.

He landed in Cleveland today and will take his physical and is listed as questionable for the Cavaliers game tomorrow night against the Philadelphia 76ers.

                    

Cleveland 115, New York 109: (Beating the "New" New York Knicks)

The Cavaliers beat the New York Knicks in Cleveland for the second time this season.

The short-handed Cavaliers beat the New York Knicks 115-109, one day after the trade deadline.

The New York Knicks lost in OT in December against these Cavaliers, but on Friday night the Knicks had a complete roster shake-up. Carmelo Anthony was in a Knick uniform and so was Chauncey Billups, who came over to New York in a blockbuster trade with Denver.

Anthony scored 27 points in his Knick debut which won against Central Division foe, Milwaukee Bucks. For an encore with Cleveland, Anthony and the Knicks did all but impress the nation with a disastrous night.

Carmelo ended with 27 points and eight rebounds but did miss a key free-throw late in the game that could have cut the lead within two. Anthony later said that he banged up his elbow and that was bothering him late in the game.

Amare Stoudemire lead the Knicks with 31 points and Chauncey Billups (the apparent throw-in) scored 20 of his 26 points in the fourth quarter.

Billups did all he could in trying to avoid the 10th straight loss in Cleveland, however, that streak did not end.

Cleveland played with a sense of passion tonight. Every player was very much into the game, and it was great to finally see some emotion out of these players.

The Cavaliers were once again alive, thanks to the trades GM Chris Grant pulled out of his hat. With Baron Davis, Semih Erdan and Luke Harangody coming to town you could feel that the players felt like this was a new start.

Antawn Jamison scored 28 points and JJ Hickson had a monster game, scoring 24 points and grabbing 15 rebounds.

Newly acquired Baron Davis liked what he saw in JJ, "JJ is ballin super underrated, Look forward to working with him and see him become a BEAST!" he tweeted.

Ramon Sessions also continued his strong play, scoring 22 points and had four assists as well.

With the new players coming to town, the vibe of the city felt great and so did Baron Davis.

Via his twitter page, "Loving the energy I'm seeing," he wrote.

The Knicks, who were down as many as 12 points, got within two points with about 50 seconds remaining. Mr. Big Shot lived up to his nickname. His layup got the Knicks within striking distance.

But Boobie Gibson hit the biggest shot of the evening. His three-pointer couldn't have come at a more perfect time. With 30 seconds Boobie pulled up for three and went "deep in the Q" as the crowd went nuts.

The Cavaliers have won 2 of 3 and will look to continue this momentum they have on Sunday against Philly. The Cavaliers will look for that game to be the debut of Baron, Semih and Luke as the new look Cavaliers will try to start a winning streak.

Cavs release Leon Powe

The Cavaliers released Leon Powe on Friday. A day after the Cavaliers made multiple trades before the 3:00pm deadline.The Cavaliers roster was at 16 after the trades were finalized leaving the Cavaliers no choice to release the California project.

Cleveland acquired Baron Davis, Semih Erdan (Boston), Luke Harangody (Boston) and a 2011 first-round draft pick from the Clippers.

In 14 games this season, Powe was averaging 4.0 points a game and grabbing 2.7 rebounds in just over 13 minutes of action.Powe, who has fully recovered from a torn ACL injury that happen with the Boston Celtics back in 2008 will look to join another team.

ESPN and realgm.com has reported that Powe has cut his options down to Boston, Orlando and the Lakers.

Best wishes to Leon!

Preview: Cavaliers vs. Knicks

The last time New York came to Cleveland, they lost in overtime 109-102, which later became the only win for the Cavaliers in an 11-week stretch.

Antawn Jamison scored 21 points and nine rebounds that game, while Ramon Sessions scored 12 points and had four helpers as well.

However, that was in December and now it is February 25th, one day after the trade deadline.

Both the Knicks and Cavaliers were very busy prior to the deadline of 3:00pm. The New York Knicks are now without Raymond Felton, Danilo Gallinari, Wilson Chandler and a first-rounder.New York got Carmelo Anthony and Chauncey Billups in return from Denver.

While Cleveland is now without Mo Williams and Jamario Moon and has Baran Davis from the Clippers and a projected top-ten draft pick in the 2011 draft.

The Cavaliers also traded their 2013 second-round pick to Boston for Luke Harangody and Semih Erdan later in the afternoon.

Both great moves for the respected teams in what direction the franchise's are moving. Cleveland is looking to rebuild with draft picks and New York is looking to win Championships sooner than later.

Carmelo and Chauncey made their New York debuts on Tuesday and did not disappoint, giving New York fans what they've been dreaming of since Carmelo stated he wanted to be a Knick before the season started.

Anthony scored 27 points and had 10 rebounds and Billups (who was called a throw in) scored 21 points and had 8 assists as well. They beat Milwaukee, 114-108 in their first game's as Knick's.

Anthony has averaged 36.5 points in his last two visits in Cleveland.

For the Cavaliers, the team will be most likely be short-handed tonight. Baron Davis, Luke Harangody and Semih Erdan are not expected to be ready for tonight's game against New York.

Cleveland's Ramon Sessions will look to continue his strong play in the month of February. Sessions is averaging 19.7ppg and 9.2 assists while starting.

For Jamison, in his last 25 games he has averaged 21.5 ppp and 7.7 rebounds at just over 37 points per game.

Cleveland has won nine overall against the Knicks and seven straight at the "Q".

Tip-off is at 7:30pm.

Harangody and Erden to Cavs as deadline closes

As the trade deadline closed, the madness began.

The Cavaliers were one of many teams trying to upgrade their roster before the 3:00pm deadline.

Earlier this morning, the Cavaliers traded Mo Williams and Jamario Moon for Baron Davis and a 2011 unprotected 1st-round pick from the Clippers.

A move that will most likely give the Cavaliers two top-10 picks in the upcoming draft.

The Cavaliers were one of the most active teams on Thursday. They were rumored to several other trades.

Trades that included Antawn Jamison going to Golden State for Troy Murphy's contract and were also reported to have talks with Detroit involving Rip Hamilton.

Cleveland was also rumored to have shopped Anthony Parker in multiple scenarios, sending him to Boston or Chicago for a second-rounder.

However, all of those trades never fell through.

The one trade the Cavaliers did make before the deadline past was a deal with Boston.

The deal did not include Anthony Parker but did involve a Minnesota second-rounder that Cleveland had rights to.

Ironically, we dealt a pick for Luke Harangody and Semih Erden instead of getting the pick from Boston.

Semih Erden is a former second-round pick in 2008 and has averaged 4.1 ppg and 2.9 rebounds in just over 14 minutes a game. Erdan is a 7-footer and will add depth to the Cavaliers roster.

Harangody, a former star at Notre Dame, is averaging 2.2 ppg and 2.0 rebounds a game while shooting 39 percent from the field in just over eight minutes a game.

All of this and the Cavaliers still have their 14.5 trade exception.

Cleveland is in great shape for the off-season, thanks to good work from Chris Grant and the front offices.

Cavaliers trade for Baron Davis, send Mo Williams and Jamario Moon to Los Angeles

The Cavaliers agreed to a trade with Los Angeles, sending Mo Williams and J-Moon to the Clippers in exchange for Baron Davis and a 1st round pick.

This is a good move for both teams.

As for Mo Williams, he was in desperate need of a change of scenery. 

Baron Davis is owed $28 Million over the next 2 years, which is part of the reason why the Clippers were willing to deal him in the end. 

Mo Williams will make $9 million next season, and is younger than Davis, although he has missed significant time with nagging injuries this year.

A Cavs source told ESPN.com that the draft pick was the main reason for this trade.

The 1st rounder will likely be a top 10 lottery pick, which will give the Cavs two valuable picks early in the 1st round.  (Kemba Walker + Jared Sullinger anyone?) 

The deal has to come as somewhat of a shock to Davis, who was beginning to develop chemistry with Blake Griffin.

It's good to see that the Cavaliers didn't sit by and watch the trade deadline pass without making some effort to revamp our roster. 

Mo Williams hasn't been himself this season; Ramon Sessions is a better fit for this team right now. 

Cleveland is stock-piling draft picks and it's clear this team is in the rebuilding stages.  I hate to see Moon leave, who was beginning to shoot the ball well and earned back some playing time.

There's still time for the Cavs to make another move; we can't be sure what the frenzy of the trade deadline will bring. 

Baron Davis is a top 10 point guard in this league when he's motivated.  Fear the beard.

Preview: Cleveland vs. Houston

The Cavaliers are coming off an impressive victory against the two-time defending champion, Los Angeles Lakers.

Tonight the Cavaliers will look to continue their momentum and start the second half off with a winning streak against the Houston Rockets.

This will be the second and final meeting of the season for the two teams.

For the Rockets, they have climbed their way back into the race for a playoff spot in the Western Conference and will conitue their mini three-game road trip against teams below .500. The Rockets will play Cleveland, and return home against the Nets while winning against Detriot on tuesday.

The Cavaliers (10-46) went down to Houston in December and lost 110-95 watching Kevin Martin score 40 on them. That game was early in the soon to be recongized streak of losing 36 of 37 games and 26 games in a row.

Antawn Jamison scored 24 points and had five rebounds and two assists in that game. Also, Mo Willams at the time scored 18 points and had a team-high nin assists in the game.

The Cavaliers are coming off a 2-1 weekend and a Los Angeles sweep. Which by the way, feels great to say. Cleveland played their best game against the Lakers and so did Ramon Sessions.

Sessions, who has been filling the role for injured Mo Willams, put on a show against the Lakers. He scored a game high and season high, 32 points coming off the bench.

He has been averaging 19.6 points, 8.9 assists and 2.0 steals in February. He is also shooting a blistering 58 percent from the field as well.

The last time a Cavalier scored 30 or more points off the bench was Larry Hughes. He scored 36 points on ironically the same date as Sessions did. December 11th, 2007.

The key will be to keep Martin under control. He has hurt the Cavaliers in the past by scoring the ball. Martin has scored at least 30 points in his last four games against Cleveland.

Tip-off is at 7:00pm at Quicken Loans Arena.

'Melo traded to Knicks: Cavs could be after Gallinari

Carmelo is no longer a Denver Nugget.

The blockbuster three-team trade sent Carmelo Anthony, Chauncey Billups, Shelden Williams and Renaldo Balkman.

New York will send Wilson Chandler, Raymond Felton, Danilo Gallinari, Timofey Mozgov and a 2014 first-round pick with more picks and cash to come.

For the Minnesota Timberwolves, they will end up with Anthony Randolph and Eddy Curry's expiring contract in exchange for Corey Brewer being sent to the Knicks.

That is where we stand as of now. However, it was reported via ESPN that Denver, once the deal is complete will not hold on to Gallinari. Gallinari was the sixth pick of the 2008 draft and is a great outside shooter with lots of potential.

The Cavaliers were one of the teams to have interest in the young gunner for the right price.

Cleveland has been trying very hard to make something happen with the 14.5 million trade exception and other pieces on the roster to try in upgrade the current team.

The Cavaliers are in need of a 3-guard and Gallinari could be a likely fit for a struggling team such as the Cavs.

The other teams reported to have interest aree: the Nets, Clippers and Raptors.

Let the madness to trade deadline begin now that Carmelo is finally traded.

Blake Griffin wins 2011 Slam Dunk Contest

Blake Griffin lived up to all the hype last night in Los Angeles. The hometown favorite took home the prize after one of the best dunk contest fans have seen for quite some time.

Griffin beat Javale McGee in the final round. Griffin's dunks consisted of an alley-oop off the backboard and finished with his elbow in the rim. He also jumped over a Kia Optima with a choir singing in his final dunk.

It might have been the best overall dunk contest I've ever seen. Serge Ibaka and DeMar DeRozen were knocked out in the first round.

Ibaka had a very strong showing. His free-throw line dunk was actually from the free-throw line. He took off BEHIND the line and finished the dunk. However, he was only awarded a 45 in which I thought was very low. He also bit a stuff animal and dunked the ball in his second dunk, good for a score of 90.

For DeRozen's first dunk, he went in-between his legs from and alley-oop of the backboard extension and he also did a sick one-handed reverse cradle slam good for a solid score of 94 total points.

However, it was Javale McGee's night to compete in the final round. McGee probably had the most creative dunks. His first dunk he used two basketball hoops and dunked one ball in each hoop, including an alley-oop as well.

McGee then decided to not only dunk two balls but he then went on to dunk three balls. His final score was good for a 99.

Overall it was probably one of the best showings from all four contestants and Ibaka (who finished last) probably would have won last year with his dunks. That was how good 2011 was and how the hype has returned.

The NBA All-Star game is on tonight on TNT at 8:30pm.


                    

Gibson's cold night

It was the Saturday that most NBA fans had circled on their calenders before the year started. One of the best days the NBA has to offer, "Saturday Showdown".

The night consisted of the shooting stars competitions, skills challenge, three-point shootout and of course the highly anticipated, dunk contest.

The lone Cavalier, Daniel "Boobie" Gibson was on display in the three-point shootout. However, he only showed for one round.

Boobie shot second behind eventual three-point champion, James Jones in the first round. Gibson came out flat missing his first nine shots. He made his first ball toward the end of the second rack.

It just wasn't the night for the Cavalier as time expired with balls still on the final rack. He finished with a score of 7.

However, on the bright side of things, Gibson did not finish last. That honor went to surprisingly Kevin Durant (6 points).

James Jones was the winner of the competition, fighting off two Celtics to win his first ever three-point shootout contest.

Jones finished with a round of 20 points beating Paul Pierce (18) and Ray Allen the all-time record holder for most three's.

Celtics and Bulls reportedly interested in Anthony Parker

Marc Stein of ESPN.com has reported that both the Bulls and Celtics are both interested in the services of Cavaliers' veteran shooting guard Anthony Parker.

Parker has been shooting the ball extremely well as of late.

Allegedly, the Cavs are looking for an athletic young big-man or a quality draft pick, either of which would be a fair trade for Parker. 

Celtics GM Danny Ainge shot down the report earlier this afternoon, but its clear that the Bulls are definitely interested in Parker. 

Who else might be on the block for the Cavaliers?  Is Antawn Jamison tradeable with his massive salary? 

You would like to think there would be some interest in his offensive abilities if the Cavs were willing to eat part of his contract.

As for Parker, he has played well this season.  His consistent jump shot is something the offense has desperately needed and the team suffers when he's not on the floor.

Parker also is a deadly 3 point shooter. 

Its understandable why a veteran team with playoff aspirations would want to add him to their roster.

Don Delaney and other news

The Cavaliers are coming off one of their best wins of the season. A 104-99 win against the defending champion, Los Angeles Lakers.

The win sent the Cavaliers into the All-Star break feeling like the world was lifted off their shoulders and handed them great momentum.

They went 2-1 on the final week before the break which had the locker room feeling great.

However, some of that great feeling went away with the news of former Cleveland Cavalier coach and general manager, Don Delaney died at the age of 75.

Delaney died at Manor Care in Mayfield Heights with his family surrounding him. Delaney had encountered many health problems in the past years, which included a serious stroke.

Don Delaney was asked to fill the role of the head coaching position for the Cavaliers under former owner, Ted Stepien.

Cleveland went 66-180 under Stepien, but was known for his extreme game-entertainment and player/front offices decisions.

Don Delaney went 7-19 in his time being a replacement coach for Cleveland. He was soon replaced by former assistant coach, Bob Kloppenburg. Delaney returned to the front offices and was blamed for the bad deals.

Don Delaney was born in Euclid on January 3rd, 1936.

Other News: Byron Scott is not all that impressed with the NBA All-Star weekend. "Maybe the average fan, yeah. But when you're around it every day, that really doesn't get me excited."Scott will however, watch his player, Boobie Gibson compete in the three-point shootout. But the rest of the weekend you can forget it. "The dunk contest? Nah. I think the biggest part of All-Star Weekend used to be the dunk contest. I think it's lost its luster. The 3-point contest is still, to me, pretty cool. The three-on-three stuff? You've got one real old guy and a girl -- no offense -- and a current player. I'm not interested in that.

The Cavaliers held the Lakers to .425 percent shooting from the field in their 104-99 upset. Tje Cavaliers were the second-worst defensive team that allowed .481 percent shooting to opponents.

Reminder: Watch Daniel "Boobie" Gibson compete in the three-point shootout on Saturday against some of the best three-point shooters in the NBA. The fun starts at 8:00pm on TNT.

The Aftermath of the Epic Win: post All-Star Break Implications

The Cavaliers knocked the defending World Champs into further disarray last night, in a game that brought momentary appeasement to a fanbase in desperate need of a meaningful victory.

Cleveland is 2-1 in its last 3 games.  It feels great to say that.  In the month of February, Cavs are 2-0 against teams from Los Angeles.

Of course, the headlines on ESPN are all too easily predictable:  What is wrong with the Lakers?  Losing to Orlando is one thing, but the Cavs? 

Really ESPN?  How about giving us some credit when it's clear we outplayed our opponent?  Why does it always have to be about the other team? 

The Lakers didn't come to play; the Cavs were hungry for a big win heading into the All-Star break.  In front of 20,000+ roaring fans at Quicken Loans Arena, the Cavs played maybe their most complete game of the season

Ramon Sessions led all players with 32 points, 8 assists, and 3 steals off the bench.  Mo Williams aggravated his injured ankle, and did not return after 3 minutes of action.

Sessions has been playing excellent as of late.  Earlier in the season, he often forgot about his teammates and drove every chance he got.  Now, he seems to be finding that invaluable skill of knowing when to get others involved. 

Ramon has significantly reduced the amount of careless turnovers, and is making his presence felt on the court.  In the first half he finished with 16 points, partly because he got to the free throw line 7 times and made them all count. 

Sessions is the driving force behind the Cavaliers right now.  He even made his first 3 pointer of the season. 

If the Cavs weren't in last place, one could make a strong case for Ramon to be named 6th man of the year.

Christian Eyenga also came to play last night; Number 8 has dramatically improved his offensive game and court awareness throughout the 1st half of the season.

He also managed to school Kobe Bryant, and dunk in the face of Pau Gasol all in one play.  Speaking of Gasol, is there ever a time where he doesn't make an overdramatic yell for a foul as he bricks another lay-up?

Eyenga has the potential to be an impact player for the Cavs.  His defensive intensity alone warrants the playing time he's been receiving.

For all the losses we incurred during the 1st half of the season, its undeniable that the win over the Lakers will help this team's confidence going forward. 

We need to play with the same defensive effort we showed last night, and we could be competitive night-in and night-out.  The Cavaliers haven't had a problem scoring the basketball this season, we're averaging right around 100 points a night.  The problem is consistent defense. 

Granted, we don't have the pieces in the frontcourt to stop the likes of Dwight Howard and pretty much any other legitimate center in the league right now.  The injury to Anderon Varejao for the season hurt this team in a multitude of ways, including but not limited to: defending in the post, rebounding, and energy. 

Jamison attempting to defend Gasol just isn't going to work out well most nights. 

That being said, Jamison did play a great game defensively and the Cavs worked as a team to out-will the Lakers for our 10th victory of the season.

Improving throughout the rest of the season is the main goal for Coach Byron Scott; we have to change the atmosphere of losing and develop our players to bring A+ effort on a nightly basis.

This victory was a step in the right direction.  Hopefully this will propel the Cavs to a strong finish for the rest of the season. 

Cleveland 104, Lakers 99: (Shocking the NBA)

Back on January 11th, the Cavaliers traveled to Los Angeles and lost by an embarrassing 55 points.

Just a month later, the Cavaliers shocked the NBA and beat the two-time defending champion, Los Angeles Lakers 104-99. The Cavaliers (10-46) handed the Lakers (38-19) their third straight defeat in which was the last game of the "Grammy Road Trip" for Los Angeles.

It was a turn around of 60 points for the Cavaliers from the last time these two teams met up just a month ago.

The Cavaliers not only got their revenge but they bounced back from an embarrassing lost to the Washington Wizards last Sunday. The Cavaliers played one of their most complete games this season.

The team played with a strong sense of passion right from the start of the game. They outscored the Lakers 29-21 in the first quarter and was up as many as 12 points in the 1st half.

Ramon Sessions played his best game as a Cavalier this season. He scored a season high and game high, 32 points. He also dished out eight assists as well. Sessions came off the bench behind Mo Williams, as Mo played the first three minutes of the game and did not return.

Mo Williams aggravated his ankle again and Byron Scott decided to let him rest and give him the extra time to give him a full recovery.

As for Ramon, he made his presence felt as soon as he got in the game. He pushed the tempo and got in the paint whenever he wanted. He scored 14 first quarter points and never looked back.

It was the kind of night that felt like nothing could go wrong for the Cavaliers. In the second quarter, with the shot clock winding down, Antawn Jamison shot a ball from the "C" on the Cavaliers logo and make it. Jamison finished with an impressive 19 points and 10 rebounds.

Cleveland improved effort from the last meeting showed at the end of the first half. They scored 51 first-half points compared to 57 points for the entire game in January against the Lakers.

Pau Gasol finished with a monster effort, 30 points and 20 rebounds, but it wasn't enough. The Cavaliers pushed the lead to 14 points in the second half .

Cleveland had an answer for everything the Lakers threw at them. Christian Eyenga made the highlight of the night. He posterized Gasol for a big throw down and blew the roof off the building.

Eyenga finished with a strong game. He scored 10 points on 5-7 shooting. However, he wasn't the only Cavalier with a timely bucket.

JJ Hickson also had a a strong game. He scored a respectful 13 points and grabbing 15 rebounds. Hickson held up his own against the Lakers 7-footers. When the Lakers made a late-run and got it withing four in the final minutes of the game. Hickson had a momentum changing put-back slam.

Kobe Bryant, who is recovering from flu-like symptoms, didn't have much of an impact in the game. Bryant finished with 17 points and 12 rebounds but still didn't seem to be himself, especially with the game on the line.

The Lakers had 19 turnovers in the game and that lead Phil Jackson enraged. He had to call several timeouts and that lead to screaming at his players in disgust. The Lakers played sloppy all night long and it showed. In the second quarter, Gasol had the ball in his hands and threw a pass to the corner, only to find teammate Shannon Brown sitting on the bench.

The Cavaliers ended a poor first half of basketball with arguably their best win of the season.

The Cavaliers will head into the All-Star break with a lot of momentum and will look to carry that momentum into the second half of the season.

Key comment: It is kind of ironic that when the Cavaliers lost to the Lakers in January, they called the lose "rock bottom" and "embarrassing". Yet a month later, the Lakers might have just lost the worst game of the Pau Gasol era or perhaps Phil Jackson's worst lose as a Laker. So do I dare say that this lost, just a month later when it was "rock bottom" for the Cavaliers would be "rock bottom" for the two-time defending champions?

Preview - Cavs vs. Lakers

The Cavaliers play host to the Los Angeles Lakers tonight, in a rematch of the January showdown that resulted in a 55 point beatdown.

Cleveland no longer has the national spotlight because the team ended that unthinkable losing streak.  Although the Cavs did come out flat vs. Washington on Sunday night, there are signs of progress.

The Lakers are hard to figure out right now.  Finally beating one of the NBA elite teams in Boston didn't translate in the last two consecutive losses.  They were out-classed in Orlando and then suffered a shocking 20 point defeat to the Charlotte Bobcats.

Both teams would love to win this one, and you have to think the Lakers don't really see this one being much of a contest.  You can't really blame them, but they aren't exactly in championship form right now. 

Kobe is still recovering from flu-like symptoms; slowing him down will be part of the battle. 

The other obvious concern is defending Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum.  Right now, it's going to be tough to handle their big-men down low.

Mo Williams will need to play well and push the tempo vs. a Lakers team that still plays excellent defense.

J.J. Hickson will need to have one of those 20 rebound games we've seen as of late, if we want to compete tonight.

It's always fun when Kobe and the Lakers come to town, we just have to hope the Cavs are up for the challenge.  It sure would be nice to steal a win against one of the top teams in the NBA. 

Boobie ready for All-Star weekend

As All-Star weekend is coming up fast, and Daniel "Boobie" Gibson will be the lone Cavalier to participate in the exciting weekend.

I'm very stoked that a Cavalier was selected this year because of all the hard times this franchise has faced since this summer.

A summer that included multiple players leaving, coaching and front office changes and now a dismal first half, the Cavaliers (9-46) needed something good to happen.

Leave it up to one of the fan favorites in Cleveland to make that happen. Gibson was drafted and has played for Cleveland his entire career and he now will make his second appearance in the three-point contest.

Gibson was the runner-up in the 2008 All-Star games finishing behind Jason Kapono, who is a former Cavalier.

Boobie was selected along with five other stars will try and prove who has the best stroke from long distance. The other participants are; Kevin Durant (34.5%), Ray Allen (who recently broke Reggie Miller's all-time mark of most three's in a career), Paul Peirce (Defending Champion), James Jones (42.3%) and Dorell Wright (39.8%).

Gibson is shooting 44.6 percent from beyond the arc and has been one of the more consistent three-point shooters for the Cavaliers in recent years.

My prediction: Of course I am taking Boobie to win the 2011 contest. Ray Allen will be a close second but Boobie will make enough money balls to take home the prize.

Let's take a look at that sweet stroke that Clevelander's have been watching for the past years.

Cleveland 100, Washington 115: (Breaking another streak)

Just a couple of days after the Cavaliers snapped their 26-game losing streak against the Los Angeles Clippers, Cleveland helped snap another losing streak.

The Cavaliers fell to the Washington Wizards 115-100 and ended the Wizards 0-25 mark on the road this season. This gave Washinton their first road win of the season and snapped the longest losing streak on the road for any team.

Washington was four losses shy of an NBA record for consecutive road loses set by Dallas in the 1992-1993 season at 29-straight.

For the Cavaliers, they never were able to recover after a hot start by the Wizards. Washington started the game 9 of 11 from the field and Cleveland trailed by 12 points after the first quarter.

Nick Young torched the Cavaliers with 31 points, and the top overall pick from last years draft, John Wall played a solid game scoring 19 points and had 14 dimes to help the Wizards snap the streak.

The Cavaliers never had a chance after the first quarter, they trailed by as many as 22 in the first half and trailed by 25 points in the third quarter.

Antawn Jamison, facing his former team, finished with 21 points and 7 rebounds. JJ Hickson also helped out with 16 points and 13 rebounds as well.

The Cavaliers did make it a game towards the end. After Jamario Moon's three ball, the Cavaliers got within 11 points but a couple of easy baskets by Andray Blatche put the game out of reach.

The Cavaliers failed to win back-to-back games for just the second time this season.

Cleveland entered the game as healthy as they have been for a while. With Mo Willams back in the starting role and Leon Powe being active the Cavaliers started to look full again (minus Andy V).

However, the Cavaliers may have started the game healthy but didn't leave that way.

Daniel "Boobie" Gibson left the game with a strained quadriceps in the second quarter and did not return.

This is a blow because Boobie is one of Cleveland's best players and outside shooters.

Ramon Sessions, who returned to the bench because of the return of Mo Williams had 14 points and 6 assists in just over 24 minutes of action. While Mo Williams scored 10 points and had 7 turnovers.

After the game, Byron Scott showed some frustration calling the game "Ridiculous" and "Sleepwalking through the start of the game".

The Cavaliers host the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday and then play Houston and New York in trying to start a winning streak, or try to avoid another losing streak.

Cleveland 93, Detroit 104: (.......26 and counting)

So much for winning time.

Before the 7:00 tip-off between the Detroit Pistons (20-33) and the Cleveland Cavaliers (8-45) most of the nation saw Cleveland finally snapping the streak.

Even Michael Wilbon on PTI (Pardon the interruption) predicted the Cavaliers to break the 25-game losing streak. The 25-game losing streak was the longest in NBA history.

However, with a 93-104 lost to the Piston tonight, the Cavaliers not only own the longest losing streak in NBA history, but they tied a record for consecutive losses by ANY pro team.

Cleveland's losing streak reached 26, matching the 1976-77 Tampa Bay Buccaneers' record for consecutive losses in any season.

The Cavs (8-45) remain winless since Dec. 18 and have now dropped 36 of 37. Their next chance to end the unthinkable streak will be on Friday against Blake Griffin and the Los Angeles Clippers.

The Cavaliers were slow right out of the gate, being outscored 27-16 in the 1st quarter. It was all catch-up from there.

Ramon Sessions continued his strong play, scoring 20 points and dishing out a game high, 12 assists. He also added six rebounds and five steals on the defensive side of the ball.

The Cavaliers were down 17 points in the game. However, The Cavaliers made a final push in the last minute of the game cutting the lead to three. The Cavaliers got in within six points but the comeback feel short again.

Antawn Jamison added yet another strong performance in this nightmare, scoring 22 points and adding seven rebounds as well in 43 minutes.

JJ Hickson also took advantage of a weak front-line of the Pistons. He scored 18 points and grabbed a game high boards.

Forget the longest losing streak in NBA history, the Cavaliers are aiming for the longest losing streak in any pro sports.

Recently announced three-point contestant, Daniel "Boobie" Gibson, scored 12 points going 4-7 from 3-point land.

The Cavaliers younger players did not have much of an impact tonight, Christian Eyenga, Manny Harris and Samardo Samuels combined for just over 31 minutes of action. Eyenga scored eight points shooting 4-9 from the field.

Manny Harris scored zero points and only played five minutes of action. Coach Byron Scott is staying with the hot hands as of late, Ramon Sessions and Antawn Jamison as been the Cavaliers best players and it shows.

The Cavaliers will try to avoid the longest losing streak of any pro team in history on Friday when the Clippers come to town.

Preview - Cavs vs. Pistons: Winning time?

The streak will end tonight.  That's all there is to it.  No more excuses, no more moral victories.

The Cleveland Cavaliers have been playing well enough to win a game, and the Pistons are very beatable right now. 

With 8 straight home games, it's time to turn this thing around.

Detroit has been experiencing some inner turmoil with players not agreeing with the coach, and they've been in trade talks concerning Tayshaun Prince and Richard Hamilton.

The strong play of our rookies, along with Ramon Sessions' continued control of this offense is keeping us in games; we're playing competitive basketball with a roster that clearly needs some upgrades.

J.J. Hickson will look to build on his 26 point, 12 rebound effort vs. Dallas. 

If Hickson can put together that type of game vs. Tyson Chandler, chances are he will take advantage of Detroit's much smaller frontcourt. 

Charlie Villanueva doesn't have the defensive skillset to match up with J.J.'s athleticism.  Hopefully #21 comes out and takes advantage of that.

Eyenga had a strong 1st half in Texas scoring 13 of his 15 points, and seems to be gaining confidence in a growing role with this team. 

Christian has always been able to drive and finish at the rim.  If he can continue to improve his jumpshot, the sky is the limit.  He seems to have a good understanding of how to play defensively. 

Antawn Jamison will look to get back to the form he was in earlier in the season, where he was stroking 3 balls and looking for his shot. 

We need our veterans to step their game up if we're going to start winning some games.

Anthony Parker has been shooting the basketball well since he came back from back injury.  He's an important part of our offense and needs to play well in order for the Cavaliers to have a chance to win.

Byron Scott is ready for this team to get over the hump, and he's liked the effort we've been putting forward in the last 4 games.

All that being said, being in games in the 4th quarter doesn't matter if you don't win. 

In 9 days, it will have have been two months since the last time the Cavaliers won a game.

Classic Cavs Commercials: Darius Miles

During a season filled with such disappointment, I deem it only fitting to distract the focus from the current losing streak, and look back at a little piece of Cavaliers history. 

Here's a classic Cavs commercial, to remember the good times we had with the 2002-03 Cavaliers. 

"We're the Cavaliers"   

 Exhibit A:  Darius Miles 


Cleveland Cavaliers "We're the Cavaliers" from Fiend Inc on Vimeo.

Mavericks 99, Cavs 96: The comeback that wasn't

No one gave us a shot against one of the NBA's hottest teams, the Dallas Mavericks.

Last night, the Cavs gave Dallas all they could handle in a game that came down to the wire.

The losing streak is now officially cemented in the NBA record books at 25 consecutive games.

Who cares?  As Cavs radio legend Scott Zurilla said on Saturday's post-game show, try to think about this record in the context of the future.

In one or two years when the Cavaliers are contending for the playoffs, will you say, "Wow we had such a terrible season in 2011?"  No, you won't. 

You'll be more concerned with how well the Cavs are playing and the multiple winning streaks we'll be on.

So as far as I'm concerned, this record really isn't that big of a deal.  No one could have predicted the departure of LeBron in addition to key injuries.  It's not too big of a surprise we're not contending right now.

Back to the game.  Solid performances by J.J. Hickson, Ramon Sessions and Christian Eyenga were the reason we had a chance.

Hickson really stepped up his game last night.  He led the Cavaliers with 26 points on 12/18 shooting.  That kind of performance going up against Tyson Chandler and the rest of the talented Mavericks roster is downright impressive. 

J.J. also snatched 12 rebounds; he's really developing an all-around game that was missing earlier in his career.  Add a legitimate center to this roster, a few other pieces, and teams are going to have their hands full with the Cavs frontcourt.

Ramon Sessions is leading the Cavaliers very effectively during the absence of Mo Williams.  Sessions has talked about how he's still learning when to drive and when to find his teammates.  Sometimes you want to yell at him for walking down the court and immediately driving to take a shot, but more times than not, he finishes at the rim. 

Ramon poured in 19 points on 6/12 shooting to go along with 13 assists.  That's the kind of performance we're getting used to from him.

Christian Eyenga continues to impress; he scored 15 points in 27 minutes on the floor.  Gotta love the progress he's making and experience he's gaining during his first season in the NBA.

The defense was there as well; Cleveland held an opponent to under 100 points for just the second time in 22 games.  (Remember we held Chicago to 92 not too long ago). If the Cavs can continue to match this defensive effort, the wins will come. 

The problem for this team has never been scoring, we've always found a way to put up close to 100.  The defense is where we get killed, as teams shoot a high percentage against us and score in the paint at will.

Antawn Jamison scored 18 points, but made only 8 of the 23 shots he attempted.  The one 3 pointer he made came late when we needed it, but making 1 out of 6 from deep is not going to help this team win on a nightly basis. 

He seems to have lost that smooth 3 point stroke we were accustomed to seeing earlier this season.

This game was fun to watch and you could see the intensity between the teams on the floor.  It probably started with Ryan Hollins' hard foul on Tyson Chandler.  Fast-forward to the 4th quarter where Dirk Nowitzki essentially threw a wild punch at Sessions.  Dirk tried to talk to Sessions afterwards but you could tell there wasn't a whole lot of love between the two.

Austin Carr pointed out that the NBA should take a look at that play and possibly levy some sort of punishment on Nowitzki.  Apparently the referees didn't see it, because he didn't get a technical and you could see the disdain on the faces of Byron Scott and the rest of the Cavaliers.

The Cavs are coming to play every night as of late, which is more than can be said earlier in the losing streak.  During the last 4 games, the Cavs have either tied or had the lead in the 4th quarter.

As Byron Scott often says, there's no such thing as a moral victory.  However, you have to admit this was a pretty impressive comeback after being down 10 at half.  We're not rolling over when things get tough; this team is now fighting back and you can tell they're making progress.

Jamario Moon seems to have replaced Manny Harris in the rotation, who only played 5 minutes last night.  Moon has had to swallow his pride and ride the bench for most of the season, which must have been tough seeing as he won the starting SF position out of training camp.

Unfortunately for Jamario, he made a critical error at the end of the game.

With 10 seconds to go, the Cavaliers trailed 99-96.  Anthony Parker dribbled down the court and missed his 3 point attempt, but the rebound was kicked out to Moon.  With 1.2 seconds or so on the clock, he passed on a game-tying shot and instead swung it over to Antawn. 

The buzzer went off before Antawn even had a chance to shoot it.  Jamario absolutely should have taken that shot, clearly he thought there was more time on the clock. 

Bryon assessed the situation. 

"J-Moon just really wasn't aware," Scott said. "That's the bottom line. Because he had really a pretty good look."

This game was hard to swallow, because the Cavs had a chance to beat one of the best teams in the NBA and end this awful losing streak.  It just wasn't meant to be. 

That being said, this team is getting closer to that elusive win.  I hope it happens when we play the Pistons on Wednesday.  The way we're playing, we deserve to win a game.

Preview: Cleveland vs. Dallas (Can the streak end tonight?)

When the Cavaliers started the season at 7-9 the city was talking about getting a final spot in the playoffs. Now at 8-43, Cleveland and its fans are looking more towards the draft.

It has been a nightmare for everyone in Cleveland: the fans, the players and the front office. The nightmare began as soon as Cleveland lost to Boston last year in the semi-finals and then LeBron bolted to South Beach.

The 7-9 start without the former King was promising, but the Cavaliers soon began to taste reality. That reality was injuries to starters, Mo Williams, Anderson Varejao, Anthoney Paker and other players such as Boobie Gibson and Leon Powe.

Now in the beginning of February, the Cavaliers have tied the longest losing streak in history (24) and will try and snap the streak against the hottest team in the league tonight Dallas, winners of 8 straight.

Cleveland lost 111-105 to Portland on Saturday to make it 24 losses in a row, and 34 in its past 35 games. On Monday night they will try to avoid becoming the only team to lose 25 in a row in one season.

Antawn Jamison will try to continue his strong play, he has averaged 20.7 points per game in this streak. Ramon Sessions will also look to continue his strong play, dishing out 45 assists and only 10 turnovers in his past 5 games.

Cleveland met Dallas earlier in the year on January 2nd, and lsot to the Mavericks 104-95. Dallas was without star player Dirk Nowitzki, and was able to overcome Antawn Jamison's 35 points and 10 rebound performance.

Dallas has won the past 14 out of 20 regular season games against our Cavaliers and 8 out of 10 have been won in Dallas.

Dirk is now fully recovered from a knee injury and Dallas has been able to get back in mid-season form. Dallas (35-14) is on an eight game winning streak and is now second in the Western Conference. Nowitzki is averaging 27.7 points on 59.2 percent shooting in his last three games.

Ironically, while Nowitzki is shooting well, he always has trouble against the Cavs. He averges only 20.7 points a game, which is his second-lowest scoring average against any team in the league.

The only team that Nowitzki averages less is Portland at 20.6 points a game. However, while the Cavs have their eyes on Nowitzki, they must pay attention to the big man in the middle.

Tyson Chandler is having an excellent season and is coming off back-to-back 15 rebound games.  He's averaging just over 16 points and 11 rebounds a game during the winning streak.

The Cavaliers must buckle down; lacking inside height and strength has been an issue containing the bigger centers. Hickson and Jamison must work as a team to slow down the tandem of Nowitzki and Chandler.

The Cavaliers have been playing hard the past couple of games and are looking to snap the streak tonight. Tip-off is at 8:30 at the American Airlines Center.


                      

Grizzlies win fifth straight while Cavaliers tie NBA futility record

MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- The Cleveland Cavaliers are haunted again by losing No. 23.

The Cavaliers matched the longest single-season losing streak in NBA history, dropping their 23rd straight game with a 112-105 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday night.

The Cavs tied the 1995-96 Grizzlies, then in Vancouver, and the 1997-98 Denver Nuggets for longest skid in one season, and can equal their own overall mark for futility with a loss in Saturday night's game at home against the Portland Trail Blazers.

Cleveland lost 24 straight games spanning the 1981-82 and 1982-83 seasons.

"Watching the guys in the locker room, the one thing I can say is guys are very disappointed in the way we finished the game," Cleveland coach Byron Scott said. "And maybe that's a good thing."

One season after losing LeBron James, who led the Cavs to the league's best record the last two seasons while wearing No. 23, Cleveland (8-42) clinched a losing record.

"Everybody was really quiet with their heads down," said center J.J. Hickson, who matched his career best with 31 points and grabbed 15 rebounds. "We're not playing to lose. We're not going out there trying to lose. I think we did a good job of playing hard."

Ramon Sessions finished with 20 points and Antawn Jamison scored 19 for Cleveland, which hasn't won since a Dec. 18 overtime victory over the New York Knicks.

Zach Randolph had 29 points and 13 rebounds, and Rudy Gay added 26 points and 11 boards as Memphis won its season-best fifth straight.

Memphis also moved into the Western Conference playoff picture, taking over the eighth spot by a half-game after its victory and Portland's 100-87 loss to Indiana.

Mike Conley added 21 points and eight assists for Memphis, while Sam Young finished with 19 points, matching his season best.

"I think we are at the point where we believe that we can win," Randolph said. "We can compete with anybody. We just have to continue to build trust and help each other on defense, and try to execute the game plan."

The Cavaliers were without guard Daniel Gibson, who left the team earlier in the day and returned to Cleveland for personal reasons. Add to that Mo Williams, the team's second-leading scorer, and Anderson Varejao are out with injuries, and Cleveland was at a personnel disadvantage.

The 6-foot-9 Hickson started at center, and rookie Christian Eyenga, who was in the D-League a little over a month ago, was at forward.

Cleveland gave Memphis all it could handle through the first three quarters, but the Grizzlies put together 13 straight points to open the fourth en route to their eighth win in nine games.

Despite the Grizzlies hitting their first 10 shots of the game, Cleveland took advantage of Memphis' subsequent lackadaisical approach in the first half and led by 10 before carrying a 59-52 lead into the break. Hickson already had 21 points, including 14 in the second quarter.

The Cavs led much of the third, and Jamison's inside basket with a second left in the period gave Cleveland an 84-83 lead heading into the fourth.

"We were in a desperate situation," Grizzlies coach Lionel Hollins said. "The way we were turning the ball over in the first half, it could have very easily gotten away from us."

But the Memphis rally to open the fourth sent Cleveland to a familiar finish.

"They say you can't win 'em all, but in the same light, you can't lose 'em all either," Hickson said. "So, if we stay [focused], I think we can get a couple of wins before the season's over."

This story from the AP

Preview - Cavs vs. Memphis: To tie the record?

MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- Guard Daniel Gibson is still listed as questionable for the Cavaliers tonight against Memphis, but coach Byron Scott hopes he'll be able to play.

Gibson has missed the last two games with a bruised left quad. He originally suffered the injury at New Jersey on Jan. 24 and aggravated it at Boston the next night and again on Sunday at Orlando.

"We'll see where he is tonight,'' Scott said after the team's morning shootaround at Fed Ex Forum. "He's going to get more treatment, and hopefully by tonight, he'll go from questionable to being able to play.
"Right now he's a game-time decision.

The Cavs can use as much help as they can get. They have lost 22 straight games, and a loss tonight would tie the league record for consecutive losses in a single season.

They have a chance to tie the league record for consecutive losses, which they already own, in Saturday's home game against Portland and set the new mark on Monday at Dallas.

They also have lost 24 straight games on the road.

Pacers 117, Cavs 112: Cavaliers now one loss away from tying NBA record

CLEVELAND -- So close. So tantalizingly close.

That's about as good as the Cleveland Cavaliers can hope for these days.

Their long losing streak is almost history.

Cleveland's slide reached 22 straight -- one shy of the NBA's single-season record -- as Danny Granger scored 23 points and Darren Collison added 22 to lead the Indiana Pacers to a 117-112 win over the Cavs, still winless in 2011 and losers of 32 of 33.

"We're disappointed. It's frustrating," forward Anthony Parker said. "We had opportunities to win and we came up short. We've got to find a way to get it done."

Unless they can prevail on Friday in Memphis, the Cavs (8-41) will match the league's all-time mark for consecutive futility, a record shared by the 1995-96 expansion Vancouver Grizzlies and 1997-98 Denver Nuggets who each dropped 23 in a row.

Cavs coach Byron Scott played on that dreadful Vancouver team. He's now coaching one that could soon be equally as pathetic.

"It hurts," Scott said. "When you lose games it hurts, especially when you give yourself an opportunity to win, it hurts that much more. We had an opportunity."

Actually, several of them.

The Cavs had chances to pull out their first win since beating the New York Knicks in overtime on Dec. 18, but Parker missed a runner in the lane with 18.8 seconds left, J.J. Hickson fumbled away a pass underneath
and Granger iced it by making four free throws in the final 17 seconds.

Ramon Sessions scored 25 points and Antawn Jamison had 21 for Cleveland, falling further than it ever imagined in its first season without superstar LeBron James.

The Cavs fought until the end, something they rarely did while going 0-for-January. This was better, much better, but still not good enough for a team missing several key players because of injuries.

Just like comic Bill Murray's character in the movie, "Groundhog Day," it was more of the same on Groundhog Day for the Cavs.

"That one took a lot out of us," said Sessions, who added nine assists and went 13 of 14 from the line. "We felt like we played well. We weren't able to close them out."

With the score tied 110-all, Collison drained a key 3-pointer from the left side with 1:08 to play, forcing the Cavs to call a timeout.  Christian Eyenga then hit a tough jumper to pull Cleveland within one, and when Parker grabbed a miss by Granger, the Cavs seemed to be in business.

But Parker's short shot -- he thought there was contact -- in the lane rimmed out, and Granger was fouled. He made both free throws to give the Pacers a 115-112 lead. On Cleveland's next possession, Sessions drove in the paint and drew two defenders before dumping the ball underneath to Hickson, who fumbled it and the Cavs' chance slipped away.

"Tough pass," Hickson said. "Should've caught it."

When the horn sounded, Scott dropped his head and a small but boisterous Cleveland crowd headed toward the exits and another cold ride home.

The Pacers improved to 4-0 this season over the Cavs, and Indiana won its second straight under interim coach Frank Vogel, who replaced the fired Jim O'Brien last week.

Before the game, Vogel joked about not being well known outside the Pacers' locker room. He went to lunch on Wednesday with center Roy Hibbert and wasn't recognized.

"People don't know who I am," Vogel cracked. "I'm not surprised. A number of folks came up and asked for Roy's autograph. I may as well have been the ballboy. That's fine with me."

Vogel complimented the Cavs for hanging tough despite missing starters Anderson Varejao, Mo Williams and Daniel Gibson.

"Give all the credit in the world to that team," Vogel said. "They're in a tough situation with everything, with LeBron and what they're going through. You feel for their guys. They deserve to get back on the winning
track. I'm very glad it wasn't tonight."

Cleveland has been beyond bad of late. Before taking the lead in the third quarter on Sessions' three-point play with 1:15 left, the Cavs had gone more than 217 playing minutes without holding a lead.

The Cavs' struggles and the remnants of the powerful Midwest blizzard combined to keep people away from Quicken Loans Arena in droves.

The 20,000-seat building was only about one-third filled and it didn't take long for those in attendance to lose interest. The Cavs missed their first 10 shots and fell behind 14-2 before finally making their first field goal.

But even when Cleveland does something right these days, it seems to backfire.

Cavs swingmag Alonzo Gee delivered a powerful, two-handed dunk that nearly sent some of his teammates on Cleveland's bench onto the floor. But Gee was slapped with a technical for hanging on the rim, and the Pacers responded by going on a 15-3 run to open a 17-point lead.

The Cavs didn't cave, though.

Manny Harris made a 3-pointer with 3.9 seconds left in the quarter to cap an 18-6 run that pulled Cleveland within 59-54 at halftime. They were within two to start the fourth, and for a while, it seemed as if it would finally be the Cavaliers' night.

They're still waiting for it.

Game notes
With heavy snow in the forecast, the Pacers flew directly to Cleveland from Toronto after their game on Monday night. ... A die-hard Pittsburgh Steelers fan since he was a kid, Scott hasn't decided whether he'll attend the Super Bowl on Sunday in Dallas. The Cavs play the Mavericks on Monday, but Scott isn't sure he wants to deal with the large crowd or being recognized by some Celtics fan. "I just don't like being around one hundred and some thousand people," he said. ... Cavs G Mo Williams has begun on-court activities as he rehabs from a hip injury that has sidelined him for two weeks.

This story from the AP