CLEVELAND (Ohio) • The Cleveland Cavaliers have been struggling and their humiliation has been plain for all to see. Chris Paul finished with 22 points and 11 assists as the Houston Rockets became the latest National Basketball Association (NBA) team to pummel the defenceless Cavaliers on American television with a 120-88 win on Saturday.
"I'm lost for words," Cavs star LeBron James said after his side lost their last eight nationally televised games this season by an average of 18 points per match, according to ESPN Stats & Info.
"They should take us off every nationally televised game for the rest of the season. We haven't played good at all and we get our butts kicked every time we play on national television."
The Cavaliers showed why they are ranked 28th in defensive efficiency in the NBA.
They never led and fell into a double-digit hole before the midpoint of the first quarter.
Houston led by as many as 35 points despite missing a pair of key rotation players - starting forward Trevor Ariza (hamstring) and sixth man Eric Gordon (back).
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18
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Average margin of defeat for Cleveland in their last eight televised games in the United States.
The Rockets did not even need Most Valuable Player front runner James Harden to have a big night - he finished with 16 points.
The guard has been averaging 31 points a game this season for the Rockets, who won their fourth consecutive game and their 11th in their last 13.
Ryan Anderson stepped in with 21 points as the Rockets overwhelmed Cleveland from the perimeter, shooting 19-for-51 on three-pointers.
Since losing at Golden State on Christmas Day, Cleveland have been humiliated in several match-ups against top NBA clubs.
They lost by 28 at Minnesota, 34 in Toronto, 24 at home to Oklahoma City.
On Saturday, Cleveland played their second game without the injured All-Star forward Kevin Love, who suffered a broken left hand earlier last week and could be out for two months.
James had just 11 points at the Quicken Loans Arena and did not play in the fourth quarter with the game out of reach.
Isaiah Thomas scored 12 for Cleveland, who have lost 12 of 18 and do not seem to have any answer on the floor to what ails them.
Asked if his reigning Eastern Conference champions tried, coach Tyronne Lue said: "Didn't look like it. We didn't have no fight.
"I just think our mindset needs to change. I think we need to do things harder."
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, REUTERS
