The Cleveland Cavaliers will play their fourth game on a game homestand tonight, when they entertain the Central Division- rival Indiana Pacers from Quicken Loans Arena.
Cleveland is in the midst of the longest homestand in franchise history, and the last team to have a residency of nine or more games was the Vancouver Grizzlies in the 1999-00 season. After opening the homestand with a win versus the LA Clippers, Cleveland has dropped consecutive contests to Milwaukee and Philadelphia.
In Saturday's 99-84 loss to the 76ers, Antawn Jamison paced the undermanned Cavaliers with 20 points, while Ramon Sessions and Alonzo Gee had 19 and 17, respectively, in Cleveland's fifth loss in seven tries. Cleveland was playing its third straight game without its No. 1 pick Kyrie Irving because of a concussion. The Cavs were also without guard Anthony Parker (lower back spasms) and center Anderson Varejao (broken right wrist).
"Like I told the guys, this is the NBA, guys get hurt. It provides opportunities for other guys and you just have to be ready to play," Cavaliers head coach Byron Scott said. "Hopefully, we'll get over this little hangover tonight and be ready to play Wednesday."
Irving was cleared to resume playing by Cavaliers Team Physician Dr. AJ Cianflocco early Wednesday morning. Scott has also said center Semih Erden will start Wednesday against Indiana.
Scott's team is 5-7 in the Forest City this season and will also welcome the Heat, Kings, Pistons, Hornets and Celtics to town on the current homestand. Sessions has filled in for Irving and is averaging 12.9 points, 9.6 assists and 3.9 rebounds in his last seven games. Over his last six games, Jamison is averaging 23.5 points and 9.5 rebounds.
Gee is posting 14.5 points per game in his previous eight. Cleveland has lost its last five games against Eastern Conference opponents.
Indiana hopes to put the brakes on a season-high four-game losing streak and is coming off Tuesday's 105-90 home loss versus Miami.
Despite outscoring the Heat by a 32-15 margin in the final stanza, the Pacers put themselves in a big hole early on and trailed 33-16 after the first 12 minutes of action and never recovered.
David West had 14 points, Paul George and A.J. Price both had 12 and Dahntay Jones and Roy Hibbert added 10 points apiece for the Pacers, who have lost five of six games and allowed 60-plus points in the first half for the second consecutive game.
"They came out and jumped all over us. There was no way that we could battle back from the hole that we dug for ourselves," said Jones. "They're one of the better teams in the NBA and they're not going to let you back in when they get you down the way they got us down tonight."
The Pacers, who are 10-7 away from home, will open a fairly easy three-game homestand versus the Nets, Bobcats and Hornets following tonight's game.
Indiana defeated the Cavaliers, 98-91, in overtime on Dec. 30 this season at home and has won six in a row in this series. Cleveland is still 13-7 in the previous 20 matchups with Indiana, which has won three straight after losing its last 10 trips to the Q.
Receive your weekly recap of all the happenings around the world of sports.