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.

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.

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

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