CHARLOTTE BOBCATS (32-42) 98, CAVS (15-59) 97
at Time Warner Cable Arena
RADIO/TV: WTAM/Fox Sports Ohio

WHAT HAPPENED The Cavs need one more win to avoid the all-time worst record in franchise history. There are eight games remaining, starting with Friday's contest in Washington.

The Cavs failed to follow up on their huge victory against Miami on Tuesday. They succumbed to the Bobcats on Wednesday and haven't won two in a row since early November.

The Bobcats, fighting for the last playoff spot in the Eastern Conference race, remain one-game behind No. 8 Indiana.

The Cavs' frontcourt depth took a major hit when forward/center Samardo Samuels sprained his right wrist. The only big coming off the bench is Luke Harangody, who is more of a catch-and-shoot guy.

Joey Graham was forced to play up front when both J.J. Hickson and Ryan Hollins got in foul trouble.

The Bobcats played the second half without leading scorer Stephen Jackson in the second half. He's an 18.7-point scorer. His hamstring acted up and he was forced to the bench with just three points.

Kwame Brown, a 7-point scorer on the season, fired in 16 points, eight rebounds and two blocks.

The Bobcats have won the last five games against the Cavs. Forward Boris Diaw was almost unstoppable with 26 points, seven rebounds and 11 assists.

Guard Ramon Sessions paced the Cavs with 24 points. Hickson added 20.

STARTERS
SF Alonzo Gee (6-6, 219) vs. Stephen Jackson (6-8, 230)
PF J.J. Hickson (6-9, 242) vs. Boris Diaw (6-8, 245)
C Ryan Hollins (7-0, 240) vs. Kwame Brown (6-11, 275)
SG Anthony Parker (6-6, 210) vs. Gerald Henderson (6-5, 215)
PG Baron Davis (6-3, 212) vs. D.J. Augustin (6-0, 180)
PROJECTED INACTIVE LIST
Cavs – F Antawn Jamison, C Anderson Varejao, C Semih Erden.
Bobcats – C DeSagana Diop, G Shaun Livingston, C Joel Przybilla.
OFFICIALS
Bob Delaney, Curtis Blair, Leon Wood

CAVS (15-58) 102, MIAMI HEAT (51-23) 90
at Quicken Loans Arena
RADIO/TV: WTAM/Fox Sports Ohio, NBA TV

WHAT HAPPENED It was a night to remember for the Cavs and their faithful. The finally got revenge on LeBron James.

James, who left the Cavs in free agency last summer, didn't go down without a fight. He recorded his fourth triple-double of the season with 27 points, 10 rebounds and 12 assists.

He was booed once again every time he touched the ball.

Sidekick Dwyane Wade added 24 points and guard Mike Bibby had 23. I got a kick out of Chris Bosh, who wanted nothing to do with Ryan Hollins. Bosh had 10 points and four rebounds. He's as soft as tissue paper.

The Heat is a very good team, third in the Eastern Conference playoff race. However, I don't see them coming out of the East. Something is lacking on this team, perhaps not having a legitimate big man in the middle.

The Cavs played with fire and intensity. Hollins had his best game of the season with 13 points, three rebounds, three blocks and two steals. He got in Wade's face early in the game and earned a technical.

His teammates seemed to feed off his spunk. If he continues to play like this, he might be retained next year.

Heat coach Erik Spoelstra had the best quote of the night. "The majority of the time in this league, you get what you deserve," he said. "We got exactly what we deserved."

STARTERS
SF Alonzo Gee (6-6, 219) vs. LeBron James (6-8, 250)
PF J.J. Hickson (6-9, 242) vs. Chris Bosh (6-10, 235)
C Ryan Hollins (7-0, 240) vs. Erick Dampier (6-11, 265)
SG Anthony Parker (6-6, 210) vs. Dwyane Wade (6-4, 220)
PG Baron Davis (6-3, 212) vs. Kirk Hinrich (6-4, 190)
INACTIVE LIST
Cavs – F Antawn Jamison, C Anderson Varejao, C Semih Erden.
Heat – G Mario Chalmers, F Udonis Haslem, C Dexter Pittman.
OFFICIALS
Ed Malloy, James Williams, Gary Zielinski

ATLANTA HAWKS (42-32) 99, CAVS (14-58) 83
at Quicken Loans Arena
RADIO/TV: WTAM/Fox Sports Ohio

WHAT HAPPENED The Hawks led from wire-to-wire and were never seriously threatened. Once again, the Cavs didn't show up on Joe Tait night.

The veteran announcer returned after missing the entire regular season to date. Observers say he did pretty well after not broadcasting a game since early October.

If only the Cavs played with the same passion.

The Hawks came into the game having lost eight of their previous 12 games. That didn't make one difference. The Hawks are a good road team, as they improved to 20-17 away from Philips Arena.

They played without leading scorer Joe Johnson, who has a sprained right thumb. But Marvin Williams slipped into the shooting guard spot and responded with a season-high 31 points.

The Cavs shot just 37 percent from the field on the night. There were some ugly numbers: Christian Eyenga was 1 of 6, Luke Harangody was 2 of 6, Anthony Parker was 1 of 5 and Ryan Hollins 1 of 4.

Hollins had been playing pretty well as of late. However, he played 26 minutes on Sunday and you didn't even know he was on the court. He had two points and five rebounds.

Coach Byron Scott has no real options, especially with the wrist injury to Samardo Samuels. It's unknown whether it's severe enough to keep him out of Tuesday's game against the Heat.

STARTERS
SF Alonzo Gee (6-6, 219) vs. Josh Smith (6-9, 234)
PF J.J. Hickson (6-9, 242) vs. Al Horford (6-10, 246)
C Ryan Hollins (7-0, 240) vs. Jason Collins (7-0, 255)
SG Anthony Parker (6-6, 210) vs. Marvin Williams (6-9, 240)
PG Ramon Sessions (6-3, 190) vs. Kirk Hinrich (6-4, 190)
INACTIVE LIST
Cavs – F Antawn Jamison, C Anderson Varejao, C Semih Erden.
Hawks – G Joe Johnson, F Pape Sy.
OFFICIALS
Dan Crawford, Matt Boland, Marat Kogut.

CAVS (14-57) 97, DETROIT PISTONS (25-47) 91
at Quicken Loans Arena
RADIO/TV: WTAM/Fox Sports Ohio


WHAT HAPPENED: The Cavs snapped a seven-game losing streak at The Q. They had lost four in a row overall before Friday's big win.

They are now 1-2 thus far on their five-game homestand that continues Sunday against Atlanta.

One has to love the minutes Coach Byron Scott is getting out of veteran point guard Baron Davis. They wanted to keep him around 20 or 25 minutes. He played 24, and they were productive minutes. He finished with 16 points, five assists, four rebounds and a steal. He made 6 of 13 field goals and 4 of 7 from behind the arc.

He's not afraid to take the last shot. He's not afraid to miss the last shot. He's one of those guys who has the rare ability to take over the game. The players will follow a player of his caliber. He has mad leadership skills.

He asked Scott not to put him in the starting lineup just yet. It could happen on Sunday against the Hawks. When it does happen, he'll likely stay there for the rest of the season.

Meanwhile, let's touch on the Pistons for a second. Why in God's name is Tracy McGrady starting for that team? Why was he even signed in the first place? They had to know this was going to be a rebuilding year for this club.

Will Bynum, one of the top backup point guards in the league, didn't get off the bench until the start of the fourth quarter. Shouldn't Rodney Stuckey be starting for this team? He's the future, as far as I can tell. I just don't get it. Play the youngsters.

STARTERS
SF Alonzo Gee (6-6, 219) vs. Tayshaun Prince (6-9, 215)
PF J.J. Hickson (6-9, 242) vs. Greg Monroe (6-11, 250)
C Ryan Hollins (7-0, 240) vs. Chris Wilcox (6-10, 235)
SG Anthony Parker (6-6, 210) vs. Rip Hamilton (6-7, 193)
PG Ramon Sessions (6-3, 190) vs. Tracy McGrady (6-8, 223)
INACTIVE LIST
Cavs – F Antawn Jamison, C Anderson Varejao, C Semih Erden.
Pistons – F Jonas Jerebko, C Ben Wallace, G Terrico White.

OFFICIALS

Monty McCutchen

, Olandis Poole,

Derek Richardson

NEW JERSEY NETS (23-47) 98, CAVS (13-57) 94 (OT)
at Quicken Loans Arena
RADIO/TV: WTAM/Fox Sports Ohio

WHAT HAPPENED: The Cavs have lost 10 of their last 12 games, including four in a row. They also have forgotten how to win at The Q where they've dropped their last six.

Coach Byron Scott has been talking about a lineup change for two days. He finally unveiled it at shootaround: Ryan Hollins started at center. Big deal.

Actually, the 7-footer competed on Wednesday and locked horns with Nets center Brook Lopez. One can see why Nets fans complain about Lopez's lack of aggression. He didn't have a rebound in the first half. He ended with 18 points and five rebounds.

Scott explained that the Cavs are too small in the frontcourt, which is true. Hollins had six points, five rebounds and a block before fouling out with 59.4 seconds left in overtime.

If I'm Scott, I'd leave Hollins in the starting lineup for the time being. He gives the Cavs some needed size. He also plays hard and isn't afraid to mix it up with the opposition.

But despite being the team's tallest player, Hollins came into Wednesday's game with a 2.4 rebounding average. It's one of the worst averages on the team.

-- The only two players that weren't injured that were saddled with DNP-CDs on Wednesday were twin brothers Stephen and Joey Graham.

-- Browns cornerback Joe Haden showed up again in his Cavs' garb on Wednesday. This time, he ditched his younger brother in place of a blond.

STARTERS
SF Alonzo Gee (6-6, 219) vs. Sasha Vujacic (6-7, 205)
PF J.J. Hickson (6-9, 242) vs. Kris Humphries (6-9, 235)
C Ryan Hollins (7-0, 240) vs. Brook Lopez (7-0, 265)
SG Anthony Parker (6-6, 210) vs. Anthony Morrow (6-5, 210)
PG Ramon Sessions (6-3, 190) vs. Jordan Farmar (6-2, 180)
INACTIVE LIST
Cavs – F Antawn Jamison, C Anderson Varejao, C Semih Erden.
Nets – G Deron Williams, G/F Quinton Ross, G Ben Uzoh.
OFFICIALS

Marc Davis

, Josh Tiven,

Sean Wright

ORLANDO MAGIC (45-26) 97, CAVS (13-56) 86
at Quicken Loans Arena
RADIO/TV: WTAM/Fox Sports Ohio

WHAT HAPPENED: The Cavs have lost nine of their last 11 games. They were short-handed, again, for the Magic game, as point guard Baron Davis was held out because of back spasms. Coach Byron Scott said he'd like to see him practice first before he puts him back in a game.

The plan is for Davis to practice on Tuesday and then face New Jersey at The Q on Wednesday.

Also, center Semih Erden is questionable for the Magic because of shoulder and groin issues.

Whenever the Cavs face the Magic, it's always a case of how are they going to slow down center Dwight Howard. It seemed like the 6-foot-11, 275-pounder was playing against eighth-graders on Monday (I have to admit I stole that line on Twitter). He finished with 28 points, 18 rebounds and four blocks - all game highs. None of the Cavs' bigs were able to defend him. Ryan Hollins might have done the best job on the night.

The Cavs have lost their last six games against the Magic, including their last three at The Q. They lost the season series, 0-4, to the Magic. They lost the four games by a combined 53 points - an average of 13 points per game.

Once again, Coach Byron Scott is hinting at a lineup change.

Here's some possible scenarios:

-- He could replace Ramon Sessions with Baron Davis at PG. That might make the most sense. He talked before the Orlando game about wanting to see Davis in the starting lineup.

-- He could insert Daniel Gibson at SG and move Anthony Parker to SF. Alonzo Gee is just not doing anything. He was 3 of 10 from the field on Monday. Why is he taking 10 shots?

-- One could make a case for bringing Parker off the bench. His shooting has gone kerflooey since the trade deadline.

STARTERS
SF Alonzo Gee (6-6, 219) vs. Hedo Turkoglu (6-10, 220)
PF Samardo Samuels (6-9, 260) vs. Brandon Bass (6-8, 250)
C J.J. Hickson (6-9, 242) vs. Dwight Howard (6-11, 275)
SG Anthony Parker (6-6, 210) vs. Jason Richardson (6-6, 225)
PG Ramon Sessions (6-3, 190) vs. Jameer Nelson (6-0, 190)
INACTIVE LIST
Cavs – F Antawn Jamison, C Anderson Varejao, C Semih Erden.
Magic – C Daniel Orton.
OFFICIALS

Ron Garretson,

David Guthrie,

Mark Lindsay

   L.A. Clippers (27-43) 100, Cavaliers (13-55), 92
   at Staples Center, Los Angeles, Calif.
   What happened: The game was overshadowed by a pre-game incident involving an obviously troubled man who somehow got inside the arena with a knife. The guy made it to the floor and was brandishing the knife in a threatening manner before security took him down with beanbag projectiles.
   As for the game, it was more of the same for the Cavs. They were competitive, after a fashion, but you never got the feeling thy were going to end the three-game West Coast trip on an up note. J.J. Hickson had 28 for the Cavs. Blake Griffin was his usual dominant self, piling up 30 points while throwing down some fierce dunks.
   Baron Davis didn't play because of back spasms.

   Portland Trail Blazers (39-29) 111, Cavaliers (13-54) 70

   at Rose Garden Arena, Portland, Ore.

   What happened:

   It was early in the fourth quarter of Thursday's all-to-wall mismatch, and Cavs  TV analyst Austin Carr perfectly (if disgustedly) summed up what was happening on the floor.

   "This is puzzling,'' Carr said. "I thought they had games like this out of their system.''

   No, A.C. apparently they did not.

   One night after playng well in a rare road victory at Sacramento, the Cavs were putrid from the get-go. Portland raced to a 24-2 lead in the first quarter and toyed with the Cas the rest of the way.

   The return of veteran guard Baron Davis to the Cavs made no difference whatsoever as they played like a team with neither a clue nor much talent.

    This season-long nightmare can't end soon enough for the Cavs and beleaguered first-year coach Byron Scott,

   David S. Glasier  

      

Cleveland Cavaliers (13-54) 97, Sacramento Kings (16-50) 93
at Power Balance Pavilion, Sacramento, Calif.
Radio/TV: WTAM-AM 1100; Fox Sports Ohio
What happened: The battle of the titans this certainly was not, but the Cavaliers hung tough against the Kings throughout to pick up only their fifth road win of the season.
Ramon Sessions turned in one of his better performances of late, scoring a team-high 20 points while playing a solid floor game. The Cavs played well enough on defense to prevent the Kings from establishing sustained momentum.
Rookie forward Samardo Samuels continues to impress at both ends of the floor. He more than held his own against Sacramento rookie big man DeMarcus Cousins.
Baron Davis again was away from the team after the passing of his grandmother. Word is, he'll be back in uniform tonight when the Cavs are in Portland to face the Trailblazers.
David S. Glasier

OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER (42-23) 95, CAVS (12-53) 75
at Quicken Loans Arena
RADIO/TV: WTAM/Fox Sports Ohio

WHAT HAPPENED: This was a classic case of the haves and the havenots. The talent discrepancy in Sunday's game was staggering.

The Thunder is a legitimate contender for the Western Conference crown. The Cavs? The less said, the better.

Once again, things seem to be unraveling before our eyes. What they are doing out on the court isn't what I'd call competing. They're running abound out there, going through the motions.

Without guard Baron Davis, the Cavs look rudderless. They really don't have any leadership or anyone directing the flow. Their defensive intensity has fallen off, as well.

Davis will rejoin the team on the West Coast trip. That's all that's known, for sure. It might be in Portland on Thursday. At the very latest, it could be Saturday in LA.

Coach Byron Scott ripped the Cavs again on Sunday. He questioned their heart and desire after Sunday's game.

STARTERS
SF Alonzo Gee (6-6, 219) vs. Kevin Durant (6-9, 230)
PF Samardo Samuels (6-9, 260) vs. Serge Ibaka (6-10, 235)
C J.J. Hickson (6-9, 242) vs. Nazr Mohammed (6-10, 250)
SG Anthony Parker (6-6, 210) vs. Thabo Sefolosha (6-7, 215)
PG Ramon Sessions (6-3, 190) vs. Russell Westbrook (6-3, 187)
INACTIVE LIST
Cavs – F Antawn Jamison, G Baron Davis, C Anderson Varejao.
Thunder – G Nate Robinson, C Byron Mullens C Kendrick Perkins.
OFFICIALS
Bob Delaney, Kevin Cutler, Michael Smith

MILWAUKEE BUCKS (35-38) 110, CAVS (12-52) 90
at Bradley Center
RADIO/TV: WTAM/Fox Sports Ohio

WHAT HAPPENED: The Cavs have now lost 27 of their last 28 road games. They looked rudderless on Wednesday: No leadership, no flow, no chance to win the game.

They seemed to be just running around on the floor. They played without point guard Baron Davis, who has left the team to attend the funeral of his grandmother. He's supposed to meet the team when it goes out West on their three-game trip next week.

That's not such a good thing, as Ramon Sessions has gone into a shell once again. When he took over for Mo Williams and got steady minutes, he played great. Since Davis has joined the team, Sessions has barely been heard from.

The Bucks shot 55 percent from the field and the 3-point line.

The Cavs (12-52) had six players in double figures led by Samardo Samuels’ 15 points and five rebounds. Guard Daniel Gibson added 13 points and seven assists off the bench.

Cavs center J.J. Hickson should thank his lucky stars that he was able to play. He left the Golden State game with about 7 1/2 minutes to play with a dislocated pinky finger. Everyone, including Hickson, thought he had broken it.

He played on Wednesday, but was largely ineffective. He made just 2 of 10 shots for four points. He did pull down a team-high eight rebounds.

The Cavs have the day off on Thursday. They need it.

STARTERS
SF Alonzo Gee (6-6, 219) vs. Carlos Delfino (6-6, 230)
PF Samardo Samuels (6-9, 260) vs. Luc Richard Mbah a Moute (6-8, 230)
C J.J. Hickson (6-9, 242) vs. Andrew Bogut (7-0, 260)
SG Anthony Parker (6-6, 210) vs. John Salmons (6-6, 207)
PG Ramon Sessions (6-3, 190) vs. Brandon Jennings (6-1, 169)
INACTIVE LIST
Cavs – F Antawn Jamison, C Semih Erden, C Anderson Varejao.
Bucks – F Drew Gooden, G/F Corey Maggette, G Michael Redd
OFFICIALS
Marc Davis, Curtis Blair, Sean Wright

GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS (28-35) 95, CAVS (12-51) 85
at Quicken Loans Arena
RADIO/TV: WTAM/Fox Sports Ohio

WHAT HAPPENED: When scouting the Warriors, the first thing that jumps out at you is their potent-scoring backcourt of Monta Ellis and Stephen Curry.

Ellis has scored 20 or more points in 31 of his last 39 games. He's seventh in the NBA in scoring at 25 points per game. He's topped the 40-point barrier four times.

But if teams concentrate on Ellis, Curry will exploit teams with his perimeter shooting. He's an 18.6-point scorer. His father, Dell, is a former Cavs guard.

They combined for 47 points, 14 rebounds, 13 assists and five steals. Ellis led all scorers with 24 points.

Ellis and Curry outscored the Cavs' starting backcourt, 47-14. Anthony Parker and Ramon Sessions combined to shoot 4 of 18 from the field (they were both 2 of 9).

The Cavs aren't getting much out of Sessions. It's time to make the move to Davis as their starting point guard.

I'd continue to find some minutes for Manny Harris, even though it's difficult to find time for all their guards.

The Cavs have been playing much better after they snapped their 26-game losing streak. They've won four of their last 10 games.

The team's spirits have been buoyed by the addition of Davis. He's played pretty well in all three games and is averaging 18 points since coming to the Cavs.

Davis said the Cavs are still trying to get used to each other. Some of the miscues happen when he doesn't know where some of his teammates are going to be on the court. For the most part, he's been a breath of fresh air.

Now, whether that continues is not known. Since he's been in Cleveland, however, he's been a joy to cover.

STARTERS
SF Alonzo Gee (6-6, 219) vs. Dorell Wright (6-9, 205)
PF Samardo Samuels (6-9, 260) vs. David Lee (6-9, 240)
C J.J. Hickson (6-9, 242) vs. Ekpe Udoh (6-10, 245)
SG Anthony Parker (6-6, 210) vs. Monta Ellis (6-3, 185)
PG Ramon Sessions (6-3, 190) vs. Stephen Curry (6-3, 185)
INACTIVE LIST
Cavs – F Antawn Jamison, F Joey Graham, C Anderson Varejao.
Warriors – G Charlie Bell, F Jeff Adrien.
OFFICIALS
Mike Callahan, Eric Dalen, Leon Wood

NEW ORLEANS HORNETS (37-28) 96, CAVS (12-50) 81
at Quicken Loans Arena
RADIO/TV: WTAM/Fox Sports Ohio

WHAT HAPPENED: One could understand if the Cavs lost to the Hornets if Chris Paul had a big night. But he left with 4 1/2 minutes left in the third quarter.

His replacement, Jarrett Jack, was outstanding in his place with 14 points, six rebounds, five assists and two steals.

The Cavs buckled under the pressure. The Hornets are a very good defensive team and they held the Cavs to 36.8 percent shooting.

Cavs coach Byron Scott leveled the team after the game and said they played selfish basketball. I don't know who he was talking about, specifically. But he did say it wasn't the new players who were at fault.

It will only be a matter of time before Baron Davis moves into the starting lineup. Ramon Sessions will be going to the bench in the near future.

Center Semih Erden made his debut with the Cavs. He had five rebounds in 11 minutes. Scott said he sets good screens. I can sleep better tonight after knowing that morsel of information.

STARTERS
SF Alonzo Gee (6-6, 219) vs. Quincy Poindexter (6-6, 225)
PF Samardo Samuels (6-9, 260) vs. David West (6-9, 240)
C J.J. Hickson (6-9, 242) vs. Emeka Okafor (6-10, 255)
SG Anthony Parker (6-6, 210) vs. Marco Belinelli (6-5, 192)
PG Ramon Sessions (6-3, 190) vs. Chris Paul (6-0, 175)
INACTIVE LIST
Cavs – F Antawn Jamison, G Daniel Gibson, C Anderson Varejao.
Hornets – G Marcus Banks, C D.J. Mbenga, G/F Trevor Ariza.
OFFICIALS
Ron Garretson, David Guthrie, Derek Richardson

CAVS (12-49) 119, NEW YORK KNICKS (31-29) 115
at Madison Square Garden
RADIO/TV: WTAM/Fox Sports Ohio

WHAT HAPPENED: Baron Davis’ debut with the Cavs was quite memorable. He had 18 points and five assists in the Cavs’ upset at Madison Square Garden on Friday. His 3-pointer with 10.6 seconds left opened up a 116-112 lead.

Coach Byron Scott threw his fist after the shot and displayed more emotion than I've ever seen him show. It was quite cool, actually.

The Cavs (12-49) didn’t seal the win until Samardo Samuels drew a charging foul on Carmelo Anthony with 1.8 seconds remaining. I was shocked by official Scott Foster made the call. It was the right one, but it's hard to make that call in that juncture of the game.

The Cavs are 3-0 vs. the Knicks this season. They’ve also won 11 in a row overall, as well as the last five at the Garden. As an aside, if you think the Knicks are going anywhere in the playoffs this year, think again. Not happening in 2011.

Center J.J. Hickson had 23 points and eight rebounds and helped the Cavs snap a 26-game losing streak on the road. They hadn't won on the road since Nov. 9 at New Jersey (they like the tri-state area, as you can see).

Forward/center Amar’e Stoudemire tied a season high with 41 points and nine rebounds for the Knicks (31-29), while Anthony added 29 points.

Davis will make a big difference for the Cavs, if he's motivated. He sure was on Friday in the Big Apple. He sounds like he wants to prove people wrong. That can go a long way for a basketball player.

The Knicks played without starting point guard Chauncey Billups. He ran into Magic center Dwight Howard and hasn't been the same since. Such is the case of a 34-year-old point guard. He's really good, but he's also on the downward side of his career.

One could make the same case of Davis. But he certainly played well on Friday. He has a date with former team New Orleans on Sunday.

STARTERS
SF Alonzo Gee (6-6, 219) vs. Carmelo Anthony (6-8, 230)
PF Samardo Samuels (6-9, 260) vs. Amar'e Stoudemire (6-10, 240)
C J.J. Hickson (6-9, 242) vs. Jared Jeffries (6-11, 240)
SG Anthony Parker (6-6, 210) vs. Landry Fields (6-7, 210)
PG Ramon Sessions (6-3, 190) vs. Toney Douglas (6-2, 185)
INACTIVE LIST
Cavs – F Antawn Jamison, G Daniel Gibson, C Anderson Varejao.
Knicks – G Chauncey Billups, G Andy Rautins, C Ronny Turiaf.
OFFICIALS
Scott Foster, Derrick Collins, Violet Palmer

SAN ANTONIO SPURS (50-11) 109, CAVS (11-49) 99
at Quicken Loans Arena
RADIO/TV: WTAM/Fox Sports Ohio

WHAT HAPPENED: One can't say the Cavs played horribly against the Spurs. They just were too banged up to really compete. I have a feeling we're going to see that a lot in the last 22 games.

I've been saying this until I'm blue in the face and I'll say it again: With Antawn Jamison out of the lineup, points are going to be hard to come by.

Samardo Samuels filled in admirably for Jamison with 23 points and 10 rebounds. I have to admit I've turned the corner a bit on Samuels. I was originally turned off by his lack of athleticism and jumping ability. He's kind of a plodding player.

Samuels, though, works extremely hard and is as strong as an ox. Whether I'm a big fan or not, it's time to give him a shot. What's the downside to the situation? They lose?

It's time to watch the development of the young players the rest of the way.

That includes forward Alonzo Gee, as well, He was inserted at small forward in place of Christian Eyenga. Gee hit more 18- to 20-foot jumpers last night than I had seen all season. That has been the knock on him: He really couldn't shoot. If he improves in that area, he's a legitimate prospect.

I did notice it's difficult to play both J.J. Hickson and Samuels in the pivot. They just get in each others' way. But watching Hickson operate in space on the perimeter is a joke. He really doesn't know what to do out there and I just don't want to see him launch jumpers.

STARTERS
SF Alonzo Gee (6-6, 219) vs. Richard Jefferson (6-7, 225)
PF Samardo Samuels (6-9, 260) vs. Tim Duncan (6-11, 260)
C J.J. Hickson (6-9, 242) vs. DeJuan Blair (6-7, 270)
SG Anthony Parker (6-6, 210) vs. Manu Ginobili (6-6, 205)
PG Ramon Sessions (6-3, 190) vs. George Hill (6-2, 180)
INACTIVE LIST
Cavs – F Antawn Jamison, C Semih Erden, C Anderson Varejao.
Spurs – G Tony Parker.
OFFICIALS
Ed Malloy, Tony Brothers, Haywoode Workman