Sunday, December 12, 2010

Cleveland (7-16) at Oklahoma City (16-8)


Photo

Sue Ogrocki - AP

View full size photo »

Seven in a row and looking at another loss tonight? Cavs' trip continues in O-City

(Sports Network) - The Cleveland Cavaliers have struggled these past few weeks and will try to get back on track when they resume a four-game road trip tonight against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Cleveland has lost seven straight and 13 of its previous 16 games, including Saturday's 110-95 setback at Houston in the opener of the road swing. Rockets guard Kevin Martin scored a season-high 40 points to burn the Cavs, who got a season-best 24 points from Antawn Jamison.

Mo Williams finished with 18 points and nine assists, as Cleveland suffered its eighth consecutive defeat on the road. The Cavs were outscored, 26-17, in the third quarter.

"It's just hard, especially being in the situation that we're in and trying to play catchup throughout the whole game," Jamison said. "Just makes it a little bit more difficult."

The Cavaliers haven't lost eight straight games since the 2003-04 campaign, LeBron James' first season with his hometown team. James is now with the Miami Heat. Cleveland is 3-9 on the road and will also visit Miami and Indiana on the current trek. It's last win as the guest was on Nov. 9 at New Jersey.

Oklahoma City will begin a four-game homestand Sunday versus the Cavaliers, Rockets, Kings and Suns, and is 7-4 as the host this season.

The Thunder are coming off Friday's 97-92 victory in which Russell Westbrook posted 29 points and 10 assists. Superstar Kevin Durant added 25 points, six assists and five rebounds, while Serge Ibaka registered 18 points and nine rebounds for Oklahoma City, which has won five of its last seven games and outscored the Hornets by a 22-12 margin in the third stanza.

"We were just being aggressive towards the end of the game," Westbrook said. "Whatever is [needed] to come out with a victory. That's what we have to do."

Jeff Green scored 13 points in the victory. The Durant-Westbrook tandem is currently the highest scoring duo in the league, averaging 51.5 points per game. Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol of the Lakers rank second with a 47.3 ppg.

On the injury front for OKC, center Nenad Krstic (back) is listed as questionable for Sunday's game with Cleveland.

Cleveland won both meetings with the Thunder a season ago and is unbeaten in the past four encounters with Oklahoma City.

 
 

Followers