Cavaliers Schedule 2012: Cleveland Aims For Consistency With Busy Week Ahead

On a crash course with the NBA Draft Lottery for another year, the 2011-12 NBA season just can't end soon enough for the woeful Cleveland Cavaliers.

The Cavs still have to play seven times in 11 days before they can shift their focus to the offseason, as three games in four days are scheduled to be played this week alone. After a day off to get its bearings on Monday, Cleveland will make the short trip up to Motown for a divisional rivalry game with the Detroit Pistons.

From there, the Cavs will return home for a head-to-head battle with Philadelphia on Tuesday, and then will take a rest day before playing host to the New York Knicks on Friday to close out the work week. Currently huddled with three other Eastern Conference teams that all have similar records (Detroit, New Jersey, Toronto), the Cavaliers are in a position to affect their lottery chances over their final seven games.

For more on the Cavs, head to Fear The Sword. For more NBA coverage, check out SB Nation's NBA hub.

Cavaliers Vs. Magic Final: Orlando Pulls Away For 100-84 Win

A third game in three days was too much for the Cleveland Cavaliers, as the Orlando Magic clinched a spot in the 2012 NBA Playoffs with a 100-84 win Sunday night. the Magic are now 35-25, and they became the fifth Eastern Conference team to clinch a postseason berth in addition to Chicago, Miami, Indiana, and Boston.

Antawn Jamison had 21 points for the Cavs, but Cleveland could not take advantage of a Dwight Howard-less Magic team that got 21 points, nine assists, and seven rebounds. Earl Clark and Daniel Orton were also in double figures off of the Orlando bench.

Donald Sloan added 15 points for Cleveland, while Manny Harris and Alonzo gee were also in double figures with 10 apiece. Cleveland shot just 37% from the field and committed 17 turnovers on the night.

For more on the Cavs, head on over to Fear The Sword. For more NBA coverage, check out SB Nation's NBA hub.

Magic Vs. Cavaliers Score Update: Ice-Cold Cleveland Down Big At Half, 43-30

Even with All-Star center Dwight Howard on the shelf for yet another game, the Cleveland Cavaliers are still struggling to find the bottom of the net against Orlando after two quarters on Sunday, and trail 43-30 at half.

The Cavs shot just 27% in the opening 24 minutes, and are a woeful 1-for-9 from three-point range. In Howard's absence, Magic big men Glen Davis and Ryan Anderson have combined for eight points and 11 rebounds against a thin Cleveland front line. Guards Jameer Nelson and J.J. Redick have each also poured in a game-high eight points to lead the Magic.

The biggest key to the game early on has been forcing turnovers, an area where Orlando holds a rather striking 8-2 advantage. The Cavaliers could only muster 15 points in the opening quarter before matching that total once again in the second, and appear to be on the verge of getting run out of their own gym by a team devoid of its best player.

For more on the Cavs, head on over to Fear The Sword. For more NBA coverage, check out SB Nation's NBA hub.

Magic Vs. Cavaliers: Cleveland Forward Luke Harangody Sent Back To D-League

One day after he proved to be integral in a 98-89 win over Washington, the Cleveland Cavaliers sent 6-foot-7 big man Luke Harangody back down to the D-League just hours before their Sunday evening tilt with the Orlando Magic.

The team's official Twitter account broke the news early Sunday that Harangody was to be assigned back to the Canton Charge, capping off his shockingly-brief one-day vacation in the NBA.

Harangody played a team-high 37 minutes in Saturday's win, tallying 16 points, 10 rebounds, and three steals. He has now played in 16 games for the Cavaliers this year and is averaging less than 10 minutes per game, and is expected to return to his starring role with the Charge.

For more on the Cavs, check out Fear The Sword. For more NBA coverage, head over to SB Nation's NBA hub.

NBA Standings 2012: Cavaliers Remain Among Bottom Dwellers In Eastern Conference

No one can accuse the Cleveland Cavaliers and coach Byron Scott of tanking their way through the end of the NBA season in order to improve their draft status. Injuries and inexperience have made tanking moot as the Cavs have slipped down the Eastern Conference standings in the last half of the season.

While Cleveland continues to compete for wins and surprise other teams with their effort they simply don't have the horses to notch wins against the better teams in the league while playing without point guard Kyrie Irving and big man Anderson Varejao. That leaves the Cavs currently in 13th place in the Eastern Conference, just percentage points behind the Toronto Raptors.

The Cavs have identical 10-19 records at home and on the road and with six of their final eight games against playoff teams, the prospects of the Cavs finishing with a winning flourish are slim, even if Irving returns to play later this week. The struggles facing Cleveland to end the season should expose a silver lining when it is time for the NBA draft lottery which should leave them in great position for the draft whether they win the lottery again or not.

For more on the Cleveland Cavaliers, head over to Fear The Sword. You can also read more about the NBA at SB Nation's NBA hub.

Magic Vs. Cavaliers: Cleveland Hosts Orlando For Third Consecutive Game

Patchwork Cavs face Magic for their third game in three days.