Tuesday, February 08, 2011

Cavs Make History, Really Are That Bad

The Dallas Mavericks helped the Cleveland Cavaliers become an answer to a future Trivial Pursuit question in that the Lebron-less Cavs have lost 25 straight games, setting an NBA record.  The funny thing is the team broke its own record of 24 games, set in 1982.
Following the loss, Mavs Guard Jason Terry, likely trying to be kind and soften the blow to Cavaliers’ fans, stated the team’s record wasn’t a reflection of how bad they really are.  He backed up his claim with the fact that the Mavericks had several chances to put the game away but the Cavs refused to go away, ultimately losing by only three points.
While the Cavs have been competitive the last four games, keeping the final score within seven points or less, the last 36 games show nothing but failure for Ohio’s NBA fans.
Starting the season off, the Cavaliers went 7-9 proving that without Lebron James they were an average team.  However, since that time they have had only one win and their losses range from close finishes to complete meltdowns.  The following is a breakdown of the past 36 games.

Feb. 7 – at Dallas – L – 99-96
Feb. 5 – Portland – L – 111-105
Feb. 4 – at Memphis – L – 112-105
Feb. 2 – Indiana – L – 117-112
Jan. 31 – at Miami – L – 117-90
Jan. 30 – at Orland – L – 103-87
Jan. 28 – Denver – L – 117-103
Jan. 25 – at Boston – L – 112-95
Jan. 24 – at New Jersey – L – 103-101
Jan. 22 – at Chicago – L – 92-79
Jan. 21 – Milwaukee – L 102-88
Jan. 19 – Phoenix – L – 106-98
Jan. 15 – at Denver – L – 127-99
Jan. 14 – at Utah – L – 121-99
Jan. 11 – at LA Lakers – L – 112-57
Jan. 9 – at Phoenix – L – 108-100
Jan. 7 – at Golden State – L – 116-98
Jan. 5 – Toronto – L – 120-105
Jan. 2 – Dallas – L – 104-95
Jan. 1 – at Chicago – L – 100-91
Dec. 29 – at Charlotte – L – 101-92
Dec. 28 – Orlando – L – 110-95
Dec. 26 – Minnesota – L – 98-97
Dec. 22 – at Atlanta – L – 98-84
Dec. 20 – Utah – L – 101-90
Dec. 18 – New York – W – 109-102
Dec. 17 – at Indiana – L – 108-99
Dec. 15 – at Miami – L – 101-95
Dec. 12 – at Oklahoma City – L – 106-77
Dec. 11 – at Houston – L – 110-95
Dec. 8 – Chicago – L – 88-83
Dec. 7 – at Philadelphia – L – 117-97
Dec. 5 – at Detroit – L – 102-92
Dec. 4 – at Minnesota – L – 129-95
Dec. 2 – Miami – L – 118-90
Nov. 30 – Boston – L – 106-87

Among those 36 games, the Cavaliers won only one and scored 100 points or more in eight.  Of the 35 losses, they finished within 10 points in 16 games, and among those only five games ended with the Cavs losing by five points or less.  Of the other 19 losses that saw a point differential of 11 or more, the worst loss was by 55 points to the Lakers on Jan. 11.  Another seven games were lost by 20 points or more.
The Cleveland Cavaliers are just not being competitive and I truly feel sorry for that team now that Lebron has left.  Truly it should be the fans we feel sorry for, who are being spared to death not only by the Cavs, who have only been to the NBA Finals once in their entire history where they were swept in four games by the San Antonio Spurs, but by every sports franchise the city has to offer.  Since 1964, when the Cleveland Browns won an NFL Championship, a title has never been achieved in any major sporting arena.

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