Maybe the NBA All-Star break should have been last weekend. The Los Angeles Lakers reached a low point in their season tonight, losing to the lowly Cleveland Cavaliers, 104-99 at Quicken Loans Arena. It was the third straight loss for the Lakers, who limp into the All-Star break a far cry from the confident team they seemed to be when they won the first four games of their Grammy road trip.
Pau Gasol had one of his best games of the season, with 30 points and 20 rebounds, but it wasn't enough for the Lakers. Gasol made all 14 free throw attempts. Derek Fisher scored a season high 19 points in defeat. Ramon Sessions led the Cavs with 32 points and eight assists off the bench.
The win was just the 10th of the season for the Cavs, who had lost 37 of their last 39 games. Before tonight, Cleveland hadn't won a game in regulation since November 27! This is the second win for the Cavs in less than a week, as they beat the Clippers last Friday night, snapping their NBA record 26-game losing streak. The Lakers crushed the Cavs by 55 points last month in Los Angeles.
The Lakers committed 19 turnovers in defeat. This is the third losing streak of three games or longer for the Lakers this season. They lost three games in a row just once in the last two seasons combined.
For more information on tonight's game, be sure to read Silver Screen and Roll.