Kings at Cavaliers
The Cleveland Cavaliers are mired in a funk and LeBron James is getting mighty antsy about it. Cleveland dropped five of its last seven games, including Monday's 124-122 loss to the New Orleans Pelicans, and strives to break out of the slump when it hosts the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday.
Point guard Kyrie Irving scored a season-best 49 points and that still wasn't enough to lift the Cavaliers over a Pelicans' squad missing All-Star forward Anthony Davis. "I'm not complaining, but right now we're just trying to get out of a hole," James told reporters. "Coach (Tyronn Lue) will figure it out. We've just got to be better as a team. It's not about how many minutes I'm playing right now or being fresh down the stretch. We've got to be good right now, and we're not winning." Sacramento halted its five-game losing streak with a 109-104 victory over the Detroit Pistons on Monday. The Kings lost eight of their past 10 games, and both the victories came against the Pistons.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, CSN California (Sacramento), FSN Ohio (Cleveland)
ABOUT THE KINGS (17-27): Sacramento is 1-2 on a season-long eight-game excursion and received 52 points from the bench in the win over Detroit. Point guard Ty Lawson was the best of the bunch by matching his season best of 19 points while also contributing six assists as he scored in double digits for the sixth time this month. Star center DeMarcus Cousins recorded 22 points and 14 rebounds for his fifth consecutive double-double and eighth in nine games.
ABOUT THE CAVALIERS (30-13): Irving knocked down eight 3-pointers and scored 35 of his 49 points in the second half of the loss to New Orleans, but a 20-point halftime deficit was too much to overcome. James contributed 26 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds but also committed three of his six turnovers in the fourth quarter and then strongly criticized the organization afterward while Lue testily swatted aside questions. "I know what I'm doing, and we're going to be fine," Lue told reporters. "I know what I'm doing. I'm not going to change or not have confidence in what I can do."
BUZZER BEATERS
1. The Cavaliers won the past four meetings, including a 120-108 road victory on Jan. 13.
2. Cleveland SG Iman Shumpert is averaging 13.8 points over the past five games while going 16-of-29 from 3-point range.
3. Sacramento SG Arron Afflalo is 7-of-23 shooting over the past three games.