Last year at this time with LeBron James and his cast of merry men leading the way, the Cleveland Cavaliers had lost just 11 games.
Fast forward one year, and while crowds dwindle and the club looks more like an expansion team than a contender, the Cavs look like they may be lucky to win 11 games this entire season.
Wednesday night once again the undermanned Cavaliers playing with eight guys showed heart, but in the end were not able to overcome the larger and more athletic Phoenix Suns in a 106-98 loss.
Grant Hill played like he was 10 years younger, scoring a game-high 27 points and grabbing 12 rebounds for the Suns, who improve to 19-21. The Suns have won four in a row.
Channing Frye finished with 18 points while Marcin Gortat chipped in 16 points and 12 rebounds for Phoenix. The Suns are 2-0 on their five-game road swing. Steve Nash notched 15 points and 15 assists in the win.
Antawn Jamison posted 23 points and had six boards for the Cavaliers, who have lost a season-high 14 in a row, and have dropped 24 of 25.
Ramon Sessions ended with 19 points and eight assists, while J.J. Hickson and Daniel Gibson both scored 16 points in the losing effort.
The Cavs showed heart, as after trailing by double digits most of the night, they rallied with a 7-0 run to start the fourth quarter, and then Jamison and Jamario Moon’s three-pointers surrounded a Hakim Warrick layup to pull the Cavs within 93-90 with 6:25 left to play.
It was then though that the Suns took over, as Hill responded with a jumper on the next possession and Nash hit a runner with 3:43 remaining to extend the lead to 97-90. Phoenix pulled away in the last two and a half minutes, as Vince Carter made a three-point shot and Nash made four free throws and a jumper.
To put things in perspective, the Cavs 14-game slide is the league’s longest since Washington lost 16 in a row last March.
The Cavs also are the first team to post a 1-24 stretch since Miami in 2008, according to STATS LLC, and they could become the first team to have the league’s worst record one season after having its best. The long season for Cleveland continues Friday as they play Milwaukee at home.


January 19th, 2011
Matt Loede
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