Cleveland Cavaliers star LeBron James’ monster performance of 35 points, 14 rebounds, and six assists didn’t prove enough to take down a red-hot Portland Trail Blazers team that made it 11 wins in a row last night at the Moda Center.
The Cavs were forced to throw out a nine-man rotation that was absolutely destroyed on the glass, which has become a common theme with the likes of Kevin Love, their leading rebounder, out due to an injury.
“It’s been a long time since I haven’t played with another All-Star on my team,” James said after the game, according to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin. “So, having Kev out has been very challenging for all of us. Kev has a big usage rate on our team. He’ll get the ball when things get tight, chaotic, we can throw it to him in the low post and get some things going.”
Sure, James has grown used to playing alongside All-Stars since 2010, but Love’s absence proves that much more pivotal with four new players trying to adapt and find a comfort zone within the system, giving Cleveland another cerebral player on the court.
Yet Love is not the only asset out of the rotation, with Tristan Thompson still to return with an ankle injury and Rodney Hood aggravating his back injury after coming back to play only 19 minutes in the game.
“It’s not just Kev,” James said. “We’re missing Double T as well. Rodney went back out again. So, obviously, you want to win every game, but my approach doesn’t change.”
The Cavs have lost six of their last 10 games, now navigating the see-saw battle taking place from spots three to eight in the Eastern Conference.
