The message was clear even before tip off for the Cleveland Cavaliers.
“We knew we had to get a win tonight,” Kevin Love said after the Cavs 106-74 win against the Orlando Magic.
A four-game losing streak was hardly a reason to panic, but the Cavs were playing poorly, and they knew it.
Coach David Blatt talked about his team being in the dark. He even mentioned possible lineup changes to get things turned around, which didn’t happen because the team didn’t practice on Sunday and he wanted at least one practice before making a switch. LeBron James used the word “fragile.”
So, while it was just the Orlando Magic playing without Tobias Harris, their second-leading scorer, it was important for the Cavs to once again play to the level they showed a little more than a week ago.
“Losing that many games in a row isn’t us so we know we have to get back on track, back over .500 and continue to get better,” Kevin Love said.
Perhaps a game like this is what helps the Cavs play better in a rematch with Washington on Wednesday night.
“We needed a game like this,” Blatt said. “Tonight was a good small step.”
The intensity was there from the beginning thanks in part to LeBron James, who scored 29 points and dished out 11 assists for his fourth double-double of the season. James set the tone and the rest of the team followed, something that was missing during the losing skid.
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