The Cleveland Cavaliers are going through a rough stretch at the worst possible time, winning just six of their last 14 games. Their inconsistency was at a peak this past week, trading wins and losses over their last six games. And, with a tough stretch looming, Cleveland won't be having any "get right" games anytime soon. Let's get you up to speed with the week that was and the week ahead with our Cavs Weekly update:
Standings:
The Cavs still have a one-half game lead over the Boston Celtics, though the Cavs are one game ahead in the loss column. The third-place Washington Wizards and fourth-place Toronto Raptors are two and a half and three and a half games, respectively, behind Cleveland in the standings.
This Week:
Cleveland started their week last Sunday against the Los Angeles Lakers, and Cleveland needed all hand on deck. Even though the Lakers have the second-worst record in the entire NBA, the Cavs needed 46 points from Kyrie Irving, 34 from LeBron James and a double-double (21 points, 15 rebounds) from Kevin Love to get a narrow 125-120 win.
Then on Wednesday at the Denver Nuggets, Cleveland had one of the most disappointing games of the season for the Cavaliers. Despite 33 points from Irving, LeBron had a minus-30 plus/minus rating and the Nuggets got 56 points from their bench in a 126-113 victory over Cleveland.
Finally, the Cavs closed the week with back-to-back games against the Charlotte Hornets on Friday and Wizards on Saturday night. And, as has been the case with Cleveland, they split both games. Even though LeBron James suffered an eye injury after being poked by Jeremy Lamb, he finished with 32 points, 11 assists and nine rebounds to lead Cleveland to a 112-105 win.
It was another flip of emotions on Saturday, when Cleveland returned home but struggled right off the bat against Washington. Perhaps it was the quick travel from Charlotte the night before, but the Wizards scored 40 points in the first quarter and grabbed a double-digit lead soon after tip off. Led by John Wall's 37 points (18 in the first quarter) and 11 assists, the Wizards beat the Cavs, 127-115.
Why It's Not Time To Panic:
Quite frankly, Cleveland's regular season has always been about getting to the playoffs with the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference. A team coming off of two straight NBA Finals appearances can get bored in the regular season, and while their defense does raise cause for concern, it is very plausible that the Cavs are waiting to employ a new strategy or make adjustments until the postseason. Until they prove otherwise, this team has earned the benefit of the doubt.
What's Next?
This week, the Cavs have two weekday road games that will both be nationally televised by TNT - Monday against the San Antonio Spurs and Thursday against the Chicago Bulls. That Thursday game is the first of another back-to-back, as they will return home to host the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday. Read more Cavs news in the Chat Sports iPhone and Android apps.
What They're Saying:
LeBron James wore goggles to play basketball and Twitter responded with its typical decorum (Cleveland Plain Dealer)
LeBron James Is Now 12th All-Time In Assists (Fansided)
Tyronn Lue's secret plan to fix the Cavaliers' porous defense (Cleveland Plain Dealer)
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