The Cleveland Cavaliers have done it. Less than a year after wining 61 games, the Cavaliers have lost more consecutive games than any team in the history of the NBA. Tonight, the Portland Trail Blazers became the 24th straight team to beat the Cavaliers 111-105 at Quicken Loans Arena – the 10th straight loss for the Cavaliers at home.
In what has become a pattern, the Cavaliers had several opportunities to get a win but simply made too many mistakes down the stretch to get it done. Antawn Jamison scored 17 points to lead the Cavaliers while J.J. Hickson followed up his 31-point performance against Memphis last night with 11 points tonight.
The Cavaliers shot the ball well tonight – 51.3% – but allowed the Trail Blazers to shoot 53.8%, including an unheard of 12-19(63.2%) from three point land. Wesley Matthews scored 31 points for Portland, including 5-7 from deep. Nicolas Batum scored 21 points and was 5-6 from deep.
Where the record-breaking losing streak goes from here is anyone’s guess. The Cavaliers will play a ton of games at home, but with opponents like the Los Angeles Lakers coming to town, there seems to be no end in sight.
The Cleveland Cavaliers are on the cusp of history, just not the kind of history any team or player wants to be associated with. Following last night's 112-105 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies, the Cavs have lost 23 straight games, tying a record held by the Denver Nuggets and Vancouver Grizzlies. Lose to the Portland Trail Blazers tonight, and the record will belong solely to the Cavaliers.
Returning home, the Cavaliers have lost 9 straight at The Q, and are 5-16 on the season.
"We just got to keep plugging away and just find a way to get a win," Antawn Jamison said.
Cleveland has lost 14 straight against teams from the Western Conference.
Meanwhile, the Blazers hope to salvage the finale of a three-game road trip tonight and have dropped four of their last five games.
In Friday's 100-87 loss in Indiana, Rudy Fernandez scored 19 points off the bench and LaMarcus Aldridge ended with 14 points and 10 rebounds for Portland, which dropped to 9-17 away from the Rose City this season.
"Teams have been the aggressors," Blazers coach Nate McMillan said. "We haven't showed that sense of urgency until we get ourselves down by a margin. You can't play that way."
Andre Miller and Nicolas Batum both had 14 points in defeat. The Blazers shot a paltry 36 percent from the field. Aldridge is averaging 25.0 points and 10.3 rebounds since mid-Decmeber.
The Blazers and Cavs are meeting for the first time since Cleveland swept a home-and-home series a year ago. The Cavs have won six straight and 11 of the last 13 meetings in this series.
Portland hopes to halt a seven-game slide in Cleveland.
