Cavaliers match record losing streak
The Cleveland Cavaliers matched the NBA record for the longest single-season losing streak by dropping their 23rd game in a row, falling 112-105 at Memphis on Friday.
- Agence France-Presse
- Updated: February 05, 2011 02:29 PM IST
The Cleveland Cavaliers matched the NBA record for the longest single-season losing streak by dropping their 23rd game in a row, falling 112-105 at Memphis on Friday.
Cleveland matched the 1995-96 Vancouver Grizzlies, who later moved to Memphis, and the 1997-98 Denver Nuggets for sustained single-season futility.
The Cavaliers, 8-42, can set a new one-season record losing streak, and match the all-time NBA record multi-season losing streak, with a home loss on Saturday against the Portland Trail Blazers.
"Guys are very disappointed in the way we finished the game and maybe that is a good thing," said Cleveland coach Byron Scott, who played on the Vancouver club that established the all-time losing streak record.
The Cavaliers, who lost NBA Most Valuable Player LeBron James to Miami last July, became the first NBA team to clinch a losing season.
"Everybody was really quiet with their heads down," Cavaliers center J.J. Hickson said of the Cavaliers' locker room after the loss.
"We're not playing to lose. We're not going out there trying to lose. I think we did a good job of playing hard. They say you can't win 'em all, but in the same light, you can't lose 'em all either.
"If we stay (focused), we can get a couple of wins before the season is over."
Hickson equaled his career high with 31 points and pulled down 15 rebounds in a losing cause. Ramon Sessions added 20 points and Antawn Jamison contributed 19 for the Cavaliers.
Cleveland has not won a game since defeating New York in over-time on December 18.
Zach Randolph led Memphis with 29 points and 13 rebounds while Rudy Gay contributed 26 points and pulled down 11 rebounds for the Grizzlies, who improved to 27-24 and stretched their season-best win streak to five games -- their longest in five years.
They moved into eighth place in the Western Conference.