The Houston Rockets throttled LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers in a nationally televised contest where the Rockets made 19 three-pointers and beat Cleveland 120-88. The game, for Cleveland, was marked by inattentive, uninspired defense and a lackadaisical effort on the offensive end.
With Kevin Love dealing with a broken hand, the Cavs were in need of a boost from the rest of the roster to compete offensively with Houston. It’s no secret Cleveland has had its share of issues on national tv this season – losers of their last eight nationally aired games.
After the game James took notice of the fact that his team is often left looking for answers on the national stage, and offered a possible solution: the Cavaliers shouldn’t play on national TV.
Following from ESPN,
“I’m lost for words, actually,” James said, referring to the Cavs’ streak on national TV. “They should take us off every nationally televised game for the rest of the season. We haven’t played good ball and we get our butts kicked every time we play on national television, so I’m at a loss for words.”
This season by the Cavaliers has been marred by turmoil and reported disdain, and their problems with performing on the national stage are only a small piece of the issues facing this team.
Cleveland is third in the eastern conference as the trade deadline is nearing for the entire league.
Reports surfaced that Cavs owner Dan Gilbert oversees the team’s decisions, for the time being, leaving the task to guiding Cleveland on his shoulders. James acknowledged that the job of making sure the roster is up to par is not his concern and that his focus is on what happens on the court.
“… I show up to work every day. I bust my tail every day. I’m the first one to get to the gym, and I’m one of the last ones to leave,” James said. “I do my part. I control what I can control, and that is what I can control.”
