At the peak of fourth-quarter intensity, the Cleveland Cavaliers’ ablest warriors watched on from the bench. After 28 and 29 minutes of action, respectively, Mo Williams and Antawn Jamison seated themselves on the sideline once the competition became fierce in the closing period.
At least they suited up. LeBron James, sitting for the third consecutive game, and Anthony Parker both sported sharp blazers while watching their teammates fall short against the Orlando Magic, 98-92 on Sunday.
The loss extended Cleveland’s losing streak to three games, matching its longest drought of the season — not that anyone near Lake Erie cares. After clinching the NBA’s best record, coach Mike Brown has altered his team’s nightly goal. No longer do the Cavs aspire to win. Now, they merely aim to survive.
After Milwaukee recently lost center Andrew Bogut to a gruesome elbow injury, and Toronto lost center Chris Bosh to a fractured face, the Cavs find themselves squaring off against a different kind of adversary. The Magic weren’t the opponent Sunday. The injury bug was.
Fans will scoff about spending hundreds on tickets that earn them the right to see third-stringers square off, but in professional sports, teams will always err on the side of caution when possible.
So when Brown parked Williams and Jamison alongside James and Parker during the heat of battle, he was simply pronouncing to the world that, with homecourt advantage already wrapped up, winning means very little to his team, even against a rival and potential Eastern Conference Finals foe.
And aside from season ticket holders, who can blame him?
With the outcome in doubt, Brown inserted a lineup of Sebastian Telfair, Delonte West, Jamario Moon, Leon Powe and J.J. Hickson to counter Orlando’s premier fivesome. Of the five Cavaliers on the floor in crunch time, only Hickson is a starter, and that’s only until Shaquille O’Neal recovers from thumb surgery.
Trailing by six in the final minute, the Cavs didn’t even attempt to foul Orlando to send the Magic to the free throw line and extend the game. Instead, Brown instructed his team to allow Orlando to dribble out the clock, inching the Cavs closer to the final buzzer and out of harm’s way.
All in all, the Cavs made zero attempt to win Sunday’s game, something Brown is content with as long as his team remains healthy. Hell, why even bother jumping out to a 13-point lead if you aren’t going to fight back when trailing?
Just about every member of the team has received a visit from the injury bug during the season. Only four of the 15 Cavaliers have gone unscathed.
So Brown’s hesitancy makes sense. He wants his team at full strength when the games carry meaning. With only pride on the line, the Sunday matinee meant next to nothing.
Any rust that builds up over this trial period can be shaken off when the team overmatches its first-round playoff opponent, likely either Chicago or Toronto.
Professional sports franchises owe it to their cities to compete for championships, not meaningless regular season contests.
With the playoffs in sight, it was just another lazy Sunday for the Cavs.
