Lakers-Cavaliers Preview

By JORDAN GARRETSON
Posted Dec 11 2012 1:16PM

While the Los Angeles Lakers' offense has improved since Mike D'Antoni took over as coach, those strides seem to be coming at the cost of a defense which continues to struggle.

The Lakers are still searching for answers as they begin a four-game road trip Tuesday night against the Cleveland Cavaliers, who hope Kyrie Irving's return will help them snap a five-game skid.

Los Angeles (9-12) has dropped two straight and four of five, and is 4-7 since D'Antoni took the reigns after Mike Brown was fired. Brown's termination was partially due to the Lakers' offensive struggles, which D'Antoni has seemingly helped. They're averaging 103.0 points with D'Antoni at the helm after putting up 97.8 per game under Brown.

The offense hasn't been the problem, though, as Los Angeles averaged 106.5 points in its last four losses. The Lakers allowed opponents to average 112.8 points and shoot 47.2 percent in those games.

Los Angeles limited opponents to 95.2 points per game under Brown but has given up at least 100 in seven of D'Antoni's 11 contests, including a 117-110 home loss to Utah on Sunday.

"I just don't think we've had a gut-check moment yet," D'Antoni said. "At some point we're going to draw a line in the sand and that's it, you have to fight. It seems like things happen on the court that get us down. Are there possessions we just throw away? Yeah. We have too many guys who will take a possession off."

Teams have especially exploited the Lakers' transition defense. Utah outscored them 19-4 on the fast break and they've been outscored 76-42 in transition over the last four games.

"Our half-court defense is OK, just giving up too many transition points," said Kobe Bryant, averaging a league-best 28.6 points.

The Cavaliers (4-17) will likely present a bigger challenge than initially expected, as Irving is expected to play after missing the last 11 games with a fractured finger. Without Irving and his team-leading 22.9 points per game, Cleveland lost nine times, the last four of which were also missed by second-leading scorer Dion Waiters (15.2 ppg).

Waiters is out because of a sprained left ankle and didn't practice Monday, but Irving's return should be a big boost for a team averaging 83.5 points over its last four.

"I think all the guys are looking forward to having Irving back out there because he does make most of our guys' job a lot easier because he creates so much for himself and for his teammates," coach Byron Scott said. "I'm sure the guys will be happy to have him back out there."

Cleveland got another scare in a 104-97 home loss to Detroit on Saturday. Anderson Varejao exited in the second quarter with a bruised left elbow, but X-rays were negative and he finished with 16 points and 13 rebounds while playing with the elbow wrapped.

Pau Gasol (knee) has missed the last four games for the Lakers, while Steve Nash has sat out 19 with a small fracture in his left leg. While D'Antoni said Nash is unlikely to return for the road trip, he would not speculate if Gasol could come back during this trek but said the 7-footer likely wouldn't play Monday.

Bryant scored 42 points in a 97-92 home win against the Cavaliers last season. Los Angeles, 2-6 on the road, has lost six of its last seven trips to Cleveland.

Irving and Cavs deal Lakers another loss, 100-94

By TOM WITHERS
Posted Dec 11 2012 10:59PM

CLEVELAND (AP) There had to be a low point. The Los Angeles Lakers can only hope they've reached it.

This chaotic season has gotten worse.

Kyrie Irving scored 28 points in his return after missing 11 games with a broken finger, leading the Cleveland Cavaliers to a 100-94 win over Kobe Bryant and the Lakers, who look nothing like a team projected to win an NBA title - or anything else.

"This is one of the most challenging stretches of my 17 years, and the most baffling, too," a puzzled Bryant said after the Lakers lost for the eighth time in 11 games. "We have the talent and personnel to do it, but we're not, and it's baffling. It's extremely frustrating.

"It doesn't make any sense. We're still finding ways to lose games."

Irving added 11 assists in 39 minutes and showed off his dizzying array of moves as the Cavs, who came in with just four wins, ended a five-game losing streak.

Bryant scored 42 points and Dwight Howard had 19 points and 20 rebounds, but it wasn't enough to stop the Lakers, who were still missing Pau Gasol and Steve Nash, from opening a four-game road trip with a with a loss that could sting for a while.

"We have to stop the bleeding - somehow," said Howard, who forced a trade this summer from Orlando to join the Lakers and maybe win some championships. "We can't let this kill our spirits too much. This is tough on all of us right now.

"We want to win. We're sick of losing. We all understand that situations like this don't last forever."

C.J. Miles scored 28 in his first start this season, Anderson Varejao had 20 and Alonzo Gee 17 for the Cavs.

Los Angeles fell behind by 16 points in the third quarter, and despite Bryant's valiant attempt to rescue them - he scored 16 in the fourth quarter - the Lakers dropped to 1-10 in games the superstar scores 30 or more points.

"We played very uninspired basketball, offensively and defensively," said coach Mike D'Antoni, brought in to repair an underachieving squad after Mike Brown was fired five games into the season. "We play at a very slow pace and we struggle. Maybe it shifts over to defense. Maybe we're slow. Maybe we can't do it. . It's my job to fix it - and that's what I'll do."

As the final seconds ticked off, Bryant stood at halfcourt, his right hand resting on his hip, a look of disgust on his face. When the horn sounded, he handed the ball to an official and shared a brief hug with Irving and a long one with Cavs coach Byron Scott, who whispered something in his ear.

The Lakers have nowhere to go but up.

Bryant refused to single out any teammates, and he chose his words carefully when pressed on his team's many problems.

"I'm very upset," Bryant said. "When things get hard, you should get more determined, not shake your heads. It just seems when it rains it pours. It's like this cloud is following us around at all times. I'm one of the fastest guys on the team - and I'm like 50. What does that tell you?"

Before the game, D'Antoni bemoaned his team's defense and said the Lakers seemed to be missing a "spirit" to win.

Those aren't their only deficiencies.

Howard scored inside to get the Lakers within 86-82, but Irving answered with a 3-pointer. Metta World Peace hit a 3 to bring Los Angeles within 89-85, but on Cleveland's next possession, the Lakers lost track of Cavs center Anderson Varejao, who scored an uncontested layup as all five Los Angeles players watched.

Bryant hit a 3-pointer to trim Cleveland's lead to 95-92 with 28 seconds left, but he missed another 3-point attempt on the Lakers' next trip and there was nothing he or anyone else in purple and gold could do from there.

Howard is confident the Lakers will be able to turn their season around.

He just doesn't know when.

"We've got to stay focused and stay strong," he said. "We can't let this break who we are as a team. We talk about it every day. People are going to say whatever they want about our team right now. We're not playing the greatest basketball. But there will come a day when we'll have the gun. Right now, we're rabbits. Once we get the gun, it's not going to be fun for everybody else."

The Cavs went 2-9 without Irving, their sensational 20-year-old. But with him on the floor, Cleveland is a far different team and on this night better than the Lakers.

Cleveland was ahead by 12 when Irving tried to take Bryant on by himself.

Dribbling the ball between his legs at the top of the key, Cleveland's star backed Bryant down in the lane as the crowd roared at a 1-on-1 matchup Irving proposed during the summer for charity. Irving tried a pump fake that didn't work and Bryant easily blocked his shot as if to say, "Not yet, kid."

"It reminded me when Allen Iverson was going against Michael Jordan," Irving said. "The whole crowd sat up. I got my shot blocked, but it was still a memorable moment for me, seeing the crowd reaction. I was surprised by it."

Scott wasn't shocked that Irving would play so well.

"He's likes being put in the position of having to deliver," Scott said. "He's just a special young man. He loves the competition."

NOTES: Bryant didn't know if Irving was "confident or crazy" when Irving challenged him to a 1-on-1 game during U.S. Olympic team practices. Irving didn't back down when Bryant unleashed some heavy trash talk on the 20-year-old. "I'm the best trash talker alive," Bryant said. "He tried to keep up. Hopefully, you'll see a little more of that (trash talk) from that generation, guys competing against each other. It was like that when I came into the league with Charles (Barkley) and Michael (Jordan) and (John) Stockton and (Clyde) Drexler and all those guys. That's how it was." ... Cavs G Daniel Gibson hyperextended his right elbow in the first half and didn't return. He expects to play Wednesday at Indiana.

Notebook: Cavaliers 100, Lakers 94

Brian Dulik, for NBA.com
Posted Tue Dec 11, 2012 11:42 PM - Updated Tue Dec 11, 2012 11:42 PM

THE FACTS: Point guard Kyrie Irving collected 28 points and a season-high 11 assists in his first game in three weeks, leading the Cleveland Cavaliers to a 100-94 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers. Shooting guard C.J. Miles also scored 28 points for the Cavaliers, while center Anderson Varejao had 20 points, nine rebounds and five assists. Lakers shooting guard Kobe Bryant scored a season-best 42 points, while center Dwight Howard amassed 19 points and a game-high 20 rebounds. Cleveland snapped its five-game losing streak and sent Los Angeles to its third straight loss.

QUOTABLE: "This is one of the most challenging stretches of my 17 years (in the NBA) -- and the most baffling, too. We have the talent and personnel to do it, but we're not. I'm very upset. It's extremely frustrating, extremely frustrating."
-- Lakers shooting guard Bryant

THE STAT: Bryant was 16-of-28 shooting from the floor (57.1 percent), but the rest of the Lakers only made 15-of-47 field goal attempts (31.9 percent). The future Hall of Famer refused to criticize his teammates for their poor offensive night, but was upset that Los Angeles only scored 11 points in transition against the NBA's third-worst team in Cleveland. "I'm one of the fastest guys on the team -- and I'm like 50," said Bryant, who is actually 34. "What does that tell you→ We're slow as (expletive). Make that, slow as hell."

TURNING POINT: Irving returned to the lineup after missing 10 games with a broken left index finger and didn't miss a beat. The reigning NBA Rookie of the Year made his first shot -- burying a turnaround 19-footer -- and immediately ignited the crowd at Quicken Loans Arena. Irving racked up 14 points and seven assists in the first half, powering the Cavaliers to a 54-39 lead that they never relinquished. "I was just waiting for the doctors to clear me," Irving said. "I'm thankful they did and I got back out there tonight."

QUOTABLE II: "Kyrie just loves to play basketball. He loves the competition. He likes being put in the position of having to deliver. Again, he's just a special young man."
-- Cavaliers coach Byron Scott

HOT: Cavaliers power forward Tristan Thompson grabbed a team-best 10 rebounds. ... Irving, Varejao and Miles combined to outscore the entire Lakers team 42-39 in the first half. ... Miles, who made 5-of-10 3-pointers, topped his previous season scoring high for the second straight game. ... Cleveland is 7-1 in its last eight home contests against Los Angeles. ... Lakers power forward Jordan Hill had 10 rebounds in his first start of the season. ... Howard tied his top rebounding game with Los Angeles, grabbing 14 defensive boards and six on the offensive glass.

NOT: Cavaliers shooting guard Daniel "Boobie" Gibson left the game with a hyperextended right elbow. He missed three games with the same injury in late November. ... Cleveland's bench of Gibson, center Tyler Zeller, point guard Jeremy Pargo, small forward Omri Casspi, and power forward Samardo Samuels attempted 15 shots, but only made two. ... Lakers point guard Chris Duhon played 15 minutes in the first half without recording a point, assist or steal. ... Howard was 13-of-22 from the foul line. ... Los Angeles is 3-8 in its last 10 trips to Ohio.

QUOTABLE III: "We played very uninspired basketball, offensively and defensively. We play at a very slow pace and we struggle. Maybe it shifts over to defense. Maybe we're slow. Maybe we can't do it. It's my job to fix it -- and that's what I'll do."
-- Lakers coach Mike D'Antoni

GOOD MOVE: Scott moved Miles into the starting lineup after the eighth-year pro scored a season-high 15 points Saturday against Detroit. Miles made him look like a genius by sinking 10-of-18 shots in 37 strong minutes. Since earning the dreaded "Did Not Play -- Coach's Decision" five games ago, Miles is averaging 14.8 points while shooting .488 from the field, .500 beyond the arc, and .846 from the line. "C.J. is really starting to step up his game and is playing extremely well," Scott said.

BAD MOVE: D'Antoni benched power forward Antawn Jamison in favor of Hill, but still gave him 29 minutes off the bench. The 14-year veteran failed to take advantage of the playing time, scoring nine points on 3-of-10 shooting (including 1-of-6 on threes) with one rebound, four fouls and no blocked shots. "We understand it's still a young season, but it's disappointing the way we're playing," said Jamison, who spent the previous two-and-a-half seasons with the Cavaliers.

NOTABLE: Los Angeles power forward Pau Gasol (left and right knee tendinitis) missed his fifth straight game, while point guard Steve Blake (abdominal surgery) sat out his 15th consecutive contest. Point guard Steve Nash (left leg fracture) traveled to Cleveland, but said he doesn't expect to be able to return for at least "another two weeks." ... Scott said Cavaliers rookie shooting guard Dion Waiters (left ankle sprain, bone bruise) is unlikely to return this week. The No. 4 pick in the NBA Draft was injured on Dec. 1 against Portland. ... Bryant was very impressed with Irving, saying, "He's a fantastic talent. He's a bad boy. He's the first guy I've really seen that can finish at the rim like Rod Strickland." ... Bryant also lamented the state of the Lakers, who are 9-13. "It doesn't make any sense. We're still finding ways to lose games. It just seems when it rains, it pours. It's like this cloud is following us around at all times."

UP NEXT: For the Lakers, Thursday @ New York, Friday @ Washington, Sunday @ Philadelphia. For the Cavaliers, Wednesday @ Indiana, Friday vs. Milwaukee, Saturday @ New York.

• Lakers: Blake, Johnson-Odom, Nash
• Cavaliers: Leuer, Waiters

• Lakers: --
• Cavaliers: --

• Lead Changes: 7
• Times Tied: 7

• Arena: Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland, OH
• Officials: #8 Marc Davis, #7 Kevin Fehr, #61 Courtney Kirkland
• Attendance: 19172
• Duration: 2:16