LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles Clippers gave the Cleveland Cavaliers a lovely Valentine’s Day gift. No roses, chocolates, edible arrangements or even a mixed tape.
Just a golden opportunity to end their miserable losing skid. The Cavs squandered it.
Not even the Clippers sitting their two best players — Kawhi Leonard and Paul George — was enough to get Cleveland back in the win column. The Cavs got pounded by another Western Conference brute, 128-111, on Sunday night. It’s the fourth straight loss to open this relentless road trip. It’s the seventh consecutive loss overall. It’s the ninth in the last 10 games, as the team’s rapid tumble into the NBA’s underbelly continued.
With Andre Drummond resting, wearing a cream-colored sweatshirt that had “farewell” written across the chest, Cavs head coach J.B. Bickerstaff went back to the five-man starting lineup partially responsible for the only victory in the last two weeks — Darius Garland, Collin Sexton, Isaac Okoro, Taurean Prince and Jarrett Allen. That switch didn’t help either.
Once a strength, defense was Cleveland’s Achilles heel again Sunday night, shades of the last two seasons when the Cavs ranked last.
George missed his fifth straight game with a right toe injury. Leonard was held out because of a lower left leg contusion. Imagine what would’ve happened if both of them suited up? The short-handed Clippers poured in 70 points in the first half. Then they opened with five consecutive in the third quarter, forcing Bickerstaff to call a timeout just 39 seconds into the second half — an ominous sign.
“I honestly think it started at the end of the second,” Bickerstaff said. “There was a point where it was a six-point game and we had some costly decision-making errors and it gave them a boost and I think it went up to 12 at the half. I think that momentum just carried over.”
Los Angeles became the sixth opponent in the last seven games to reach the 120-point mark. The Clippers shot 47.7% from the field and 43.3% from 3-point range. Lou Williams went for a season-high 30 points to go with 10 assists, providing another education to Cleveland rookie Okoro.
“I don’t think there’s a problem with the offense right now. I think defensively we need to be better,” Cedi Osman said. “I mean, it’s just not enough, especially against these types of teams. We have to play harder. You see the other teams, they’re not letting us score easy, but we gave up so many easy points tonight.”
The Cavs were led by Sexton, who tallied 22 points. Garland and Osman scored 20 apiece. Allen had 15 points and 10 rebounds.
Following Friday’s loss in Portland, in which Drummond looked disengaged and uninvolved in team huddles, continuing a string of poor individual showings and disruptive play from a team standpoint, Bickerstaff mentioned the possibility of a role change for the two-time All-Star, who has become a target of criticism.
Sunday provided another chance to see what it looked like with Allen surrounding Cleveland’s dynamic young backcourt instead. That’s the team’s future.
But it became clear with another rout: The Cavs’ current issues run deeper than one enigmatic player. Deeper than a struggling starting group that had been responsible for lethargic starts. Deeper than a few injuries — Kevin Love, Larry Nance Jr. and Matthew Dellavedova.
The Cavs have entered a dark place. They are weeks removed from trending in the right direction and unable to find the answers. They need to locate them quickly, before they start splintering.
Up next
The Cavs will finish their road trip against the Golden State Warriors on Monday night. Tip is set for 10 p.m.
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New Cavs face masks for sale: Here’s where you can buy Cleveland Cavaliers-themed face coverings for coronavirus protection, including a single mask ($14.99) and a 3-pack ($24.99). All NBA proceeds donated to charity.
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