CLEVELAND, (Reuters) – The Cleveland Cavaliers plunged new depths when they set an NBA record for the most consecutive losses in a single season at 24 after losing 111-105 to the Portland Trail Blazers on Saturday.
Their defeat gave the Cavaliers sole possession of a record which they had previously shared with the 1995-96 Vancouver Grizzlies and 1997-98 Denver Nuggets.
“Losing gets any player down,” Cavaliers guard Daniel Gibson told reporters. “If you’re a competitor, when you lose, no matter how many times, it’s gonna hurt.”
The Cavaliers briefly held the lead at 91-90 with nine minutes left in the fourth quarter but the Trail Blazers went on a 15-4 run to forge ahead.
Cleveland responded with a 10-2 run to close to within two points at 107-105 but they were unable to complete the comeback.
Former Cavaliers guard Andre Miller sank a difficult 12-foot jump shot and when Cleveland failed to score on their next possession, they were forced to foul Rudy Fernandez who converted both free throws to seal their fate.
“It’s not a matter of if we’re going to win, it’s when,” Cavaliers coach Byron Scott said. “We’ve just got to keep playing that hard.”
Wesley Matthews scored 31 points to pace the Trail Blazers while Nicolas Batum added 21 and LaMarcus Aldridge had a double-double with 20 points and 10 rebounds.
Antawn Jamison scored 17 points to lead the Cavaliers, and Ramon Sessions added 15 points. The Cavaliers bench players contributed 31 points, including 14 from Jamario Moon.
