Cleveland Cavaliers nip the losing streak at 26; Down the Los Angeles Clippers in O.T. (Part – 1)
Maybe it was Mo Williams returning to the rotation. Maybe it was the emotional outburst of their coach Byron Scott in the last loss. Or maybe it was the intensity and the zeal of a sell out crowd that was that infused life in the
Cleveland Cavaliers ranks.
Whatever it was it worked as the Cavaliers finally snapped the NBA’s all-time longest losing streak in dramatic fashion. The overtime extravaganza that featured the match going into a deadlock 16 times and the lead changing hands
22 times finally provided a befitting end for the Cavs, as they pulled past the Los Angeles Clippers in overtime, 126-119.
For the past 36 games, the Cavaliers were a team that couldn’t find a way to win, but nearly two months after the ordeal started, the Cavalier finally got the monkey off their back. In a topsy-turvy match, that had all the ingredients
of a thriller from the very start, the Cavs just refused to cave in - turning in the grittiest performance of the season.
The Cavs, whose losing skein had become a national joke, were on the brink of surpassing the National Football League's Tampa Bay Buccaneers for the worst losing streak ever among the four major American sports as they entered
the night.
After slipping to the depth of NBA futility during the wretched 55 day spurt, this was one embarrassment the Cavs weren’t willing to embrace, and they played like it.
It was the night for Antawn Jamison. The dynamic forward who has been the lone bright spot in an extremely thin Cleveland offense finally managed to spark them to win. The 13th year pro scored a game-high 35 points,
connecting on 11-of-20 shots from the field, including 4-of-6 from beyond the arc. He also wrapped it with 9 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 steals.
His biggest contribution of the night though was a game-breaking triple pointer with 22 seconds left in the overtime – a scorcher that finally put away the game for good.
In addition to matching his season high score, Jamison achieved another milestone on the night as well. When the dazzling forward canned a 17-footer with 9:14minutes remaining in the third, it marked his 18,000th point as a pro
rendering him as one of just nine active players in the league to pass that plateau. Jamison said after the game.
"It's a great feeling and great for the morale of this team, this city and these fans, it’s finally good to get it. We've been working so hard for this. We finally got it."
He wasn’t the lone man fighting this time though.
J.J. Hickson pitched up in the battle against Blake Griffin also turned on the heat big time. The 6ft-9in forward, scored 27 points on a 12-of-19 shooting. He also connected on all his 3, three point shots as he notched up a double-double
with 14 boards. Mo Williams sparked a comeback with 17 points, while dishing out 14 assists; Daniel Gibson also netted 17, including nine in overtime, while Ramon Sessions finished with 12 points.
On the Clippers front, Rookie Blake Griffin finished with 32 points and 13 rebounds to spearhead the offense. His endeavours though weren’t enough to hold off an impassioned Cavalier outfit. Baron Davis scored 26 points with seven
assists, and Randy Foye pitched in 23 points for the Clippers who five of their last six games.
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