FINAL - LAL 119, CLE 108 ... Despite returning home, the formula and results were the same as on the recent roadie -- with the Cavs falling behind big early, mounting a comeback and watching their opponent pull away. On Wednesday, it was the shorthanded Lakers, who dressed eight men and came in with a seven-game losing streak. L.A. took a 29-point lead and the Cavs cut it to six in the fourth quarter before the Lakers pulled away for the 119-108 win. CJ Miles led the Wine and Gold with 27 points off the bench.
56.7, 4Q - LAL 117, CLE 108 ... Cavs had cut it to 6 on CJ's shooting, but Blake's 3-pointer puts LAL back up by 3 possessions; Miles, game-high 27 pts, but three Lakers starters with 20-plus; five on the floor to finish: Waiters, Delly, Andy, Miles, Bennett. (And for some reason, Steve Nash is dressed, sans warmups, and on the Lakers bench. Yeah, it's been a strange night.)
3:01, 4Q - LAL 114, CLE 103 ... Strange and seldom-used rule allows Lakers to keep Sacre in the game despite picking up 6th PF, Cavs shoot technical and Miles hits both shots, but Blake cans 3pt to put LAL back up by 11.
5:43, 4Q - LAL 107, CLE 99 ... Delly cans two straight hoops, including 3pt on last possession, Cavs cut it to single-digits; Delly, 8 pts, 3-4 FG; MIles, 22 pts, 6-10 FG; Cavs beating LAL on the boards, 42-30; with Kaman fouling out, Lakers are down to 6 healthy bodies.
9:39, 4Q - LAL 100, CLE 90 ... Cavs start 4Q on a 10-2 run, capped by CJ's 3pt FG -- leads CLE w/20 pts, 3-6 3pt FG.
End 3Q - LAL 98, CLE 80 ... Cavs made a little run to get it under 20, but still have an uphill climb, even against shorthanded Lakers who won't have Nick Young (twisted left knee) the rest of the way; CJ leads CLE w/14 pts; Thompson, Varejao, 13 pts apiece; irving, 11 pts, Bennett, 10; Cavs shooting 5 pct from long-distance, Lakers, 52 pct.
7:25, 3Q - LAL 83, CLE 56 ... Things haven't gotten much better for CLE in 2H, Lakers still shooting 58 pct, getting most 50-50 balls, beating Cavs on the break, 11-4; Tristan, 13 pts, 8 reb; Kyrie, 11 pts, 6 reb, 4 asst; Miles, 10 pts; Cavs shooting 36 pct FG; For LAL, W. Johnson w/20 pts.
End 1H - LAL 70, CLE 49 ... Cavs have some work to do in the second half; shorthanded Lakers shoot 63 pct FG, 59 pct from long-distance; Tristan leads CLE w/12 pts; Miles, 10 pts off bench; Kyrie 9 pts, 5 reb, 4 asst; Fastbreak pts, LAL, 11, CLE, 2.
2:16, 2Q - LAL 65, CLE 44 ... Cavs were down as many as 29 in 2Q, still down 21; Lakers shooting 63 pct FG, Cavs, 37; Tristan, 10 pts, 4 reb; CJ, 10 pts off the bench; Kyrie, 7 pts, 4 reb, 4 asst; Farmar, 19 pts, 7-9 FG.
End 1Q - LAL 36, CLE 17 ... Rough 1Q coming off a rough road trip, Lakers shoot 71 pct FG, 75 pct 3pt (6-of-8) in the period; Cavs shot 29 pct FG, were 0-6 3pt FG; Tristan Thompson leads CLE w/6 pts; Wesley Johnson, 6-7 FG, 15 pts to lead everyone.
2:25, 1Q - LAL 30, CLE 15 ... Not the start Cavs were looking for against a team that dressed only eight guys -- and is now shooting 80 pct from the floor -- Lakers 6-of-6 from 3pt range (after Cavs set a franchise record against them with 13 treys in L.A.)
Pregame - Cavaliers need a win an a banged-up Lakers team playing the second game of a back-to-back (after getting into Cleveland very late) is the perfect team to get it against. The Cavs dropped L.A. at the Staples Center on January 14 in Luol Deng's third game with the Wine and Gold. Deng went 5-of-5 from long-distance and the Cavs set a franchise mark, canning 13 treys in the 120-118 win.
Dion Waiters had averaged over 20 ppg in three games before the Mavericks contest on Monday where he took the collar in less than 11 minutes of floor time. He still leads all Eastern Conference reserves with a 14.4 average. Kyrie has topped the 20-point plateau in nine of his last ten games and has done so in five straight.
Mike Brown's pregame presser, discussing how the Lakers, while shorthanded, are still a dangerous team and that he'd like to Anthony Bennett in his rotation.
Starting lineup: G Jack, G Irving, F Deng, F Thompson, C Varejao