Timberwolves at Cavaliers
The Cleveland Cavaliers' lengthy slide continues to hit low points, and the team attempts to bounce back from another disappointment when it hosts the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday. Cleveland possessed a 21-point, second-quarter lead against lowly Orlando on Tuesday before falling 116-98 for its 13th setback in 19 games.
The Cavaliers have lost by 20 or more points in four of their last 13 contests, but Tuesday's 18-point defeat was just as disappointing to LeBron James after his team was shellacked 65-31 in the second half. "I mean, it's just a culmination of our season, pretty much," James told reporters. "We've had big leads this year, we've lost them for whatever reason. They came out (after halftime) with a lot of sense of urgency." The Timberwolves hammered the Cavaliers 127-99 on Jan. 8 to end a six-game losing streak in the series. Minnesota, which has won 10 of its last 16 contests, has been idle since Saturday's 118-107 home victory over New Orleans.
TV: 8 p.m. ET, ESPN, FS North (Minnesota), FS Ohio (Cleveland)
ABOUT THE TIMBERWOLVES (34-22): All-Star guard Jimmy Butler continued his stellar production with 30 points, eight rebounds and seven assists in the victory over the Pelicans. Butler has topped 20 points in all five contests since returning from a four-game absence due to a knee injury and is riding an eight-game overall streak of 20-point performances. All-Star center Karl-Anthony Towns leads the NBA with 47 double-doubles and has notched six in a row after a 22-point, 16-rebound effort against New Orleans.
ABOUT THE CAVALIERS (30-22): Cleveland had a superb 43-point opening quarter against the Magic and appeared headed to an easy victory before the unforeseen collapse. J.R. Smith (12 points on four 3-pointers) and Isaiah Thomas (11 points) scored all their points in the first quarter as the Cavaliers allowed Orlando to record 41 third-quarter points before registering just nine of their own in the final quarter on 3-of-18 shooting. "When we hit adversity, we go our separate ways," Thomas told reporters. "That's just how I feel, and it looks like that as well. Guys start going 1-on-1, offense and defense, and it's every man for himself."
BUZZER BEATERS
1. The Timberwolves have dropped each of their last four visits to Cleveland.
2. Thomas is just 13-of-51 shooting over his last four games.
3. Minnesota has been held below 100 points just 11 times this season, going 2-9 in those contests.