Even without their best player, the Portland Trail Blazers just showed they can be still be dangerous on their home floor.
Success on the road has been another matter, though they'll enter Sunday night's matchup with the Sacramento Kings off easily their most impressive performance of the season.
Despite Damian Lillard missing a third straight game, the rested Blazers still dominated Eastern Conference-leading Cleveland on both ends to return from the holiday break with a resounding 105-76 victory. Portland's most lopsided win of the season halted a five-game skid capped by Wednesday's 26-point loss at 10-20 New Orleans.
Allen Crabbe compensated for Lillard's absence with a career-high 26 points, including 21 in the first half as Portland (12-20) built a commanding 63-34 lead. Mason Plumlee added 11 points and 14 rebounds to help the Trail Blazers record a 44-24 points advantage in the paint and hold the Cavaliers, coming off a tough Christmas Day loss at Golden State, to 36.4 percent shooting.
''Having two days off was good," coach Terry Stotts said. "We had a lot of energy. We were pushing the ball after stops. We seemed to have a little extra bounce.''
Portland now attempts to carry that newfound momentum to the road, where it's lost five straight and 13 of 16 following a 2-1 start.
The task won't be easy, especially if Lillard still isn't ready to return from a nagging plantar fasciitis injury. Sacramento (12-17) has won three straight and seven of nine at home and hasn't played since an impressive 108-106 victory at Indiana on Wednesday.
The Kings received several clutch performances to earn a split of a tough four-game trip. DeMarcus Cousins had 16 rebounds and 25 points, including two go-ahead free throws with 1:05 left. Darren Collison tallied a season-high 24 off the bench and Rajon Rondo just missed a fifth triple-double this season with 13 points, 16 assists and eight rebounds.
''It was a team effort in a lot of ways, but Darren Collison was special," coach George Karl said. "I know he played (with Indiana). Sometimes coming back to places (motivates you).''
Collison, shooting 60.3 percent while averaging 15.5 points over a six-game stretch, is one of a few role players who have helped ease the burden on Cousins during the Kings' recent upswing. Omri Casspi is 12 of 21 from 3-point range while averaging 13.8 points over his last five.
Crabbe is averaging 19.0 points in the games Lillard's missed, while C.J. McCollum has produced 21.6 points and shot 44.1 percent from 3 over his last nine.
Lillard told reporters he could be available for Sunday's game, though he's more likely to be back when the Blazers host Denver on Wednesday.
The All-Star guard had 31 points in Portland's 110-99 victory in Sacramento on March 1. The Trail Blazers won two of last season's three meetings and six of the last eight.
Sacramento's Rudy Gay averaged 30.0 points in the 2014-15 season series, highlighted by a 40-point effort in a 103-94 home win on Oct. 31, 2014.
Receive your weekly recap of all the happenings around the world of sports.