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.