No need to panic over Cavaliers' 3-game losing skid
It's time to sound the alarm in the state of Ohio, because the Cleveland Cavaliers are sinking like the Titanic and blowing their opportunity at becoming back-to-back champions.
See, that's how an irrational individual who can't see the forest for the trees would process the team's ongoing losing streak, which hit three games on Friday night in a 111-105 loss to Dwyane Wade and the Chicago Bulls at the United Center.
The reigning titleholders aren't without their flaws, yes, which has certainly been apparent against the Bulls, Los Angeles Clippers, and Milwaukee Bucks. They're not incorporating a ton of new guys into the rotation, battling through injury, or playing without the services of the ruler of the NBA kingdom (LeBron Raymone James), so excuses won't be easy to come by to silence any naysayers.
What we saw in the Windy City Friday night was a team without any pep in its step taking the floor for their third game in four nights (an extremely valid excuse), especially on the defensive end. Chicago basically got whatever it wanted in the paint, with Cleveland's inability to block shots (just one on the night) aiding in their efforts. Tyronn Lue's crew got eaten alive on the glass (49-33 in favor of the Bulls), and turned the ball over 18 times - a telling statistic considering they've had 18 or more in each of these losses.
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Chicago, Milwaukee, and Los Angeles are three of the strongest defensive units in the Association (eighth, 12th, and first, respectively), and when things are heading towards a downward spiral, having to square off with teams like that can make a bad situation look so much worse.
Ironically enough, the Cavaliers only fell in three consecutive outings once during the 2015-16 regular season (Games No. 18-20), and it was at roughly the same time as their current skid (Games No. 16-18). We all know how things turned out for the franchise that year, so ...
... there's absolutely no need to stress out, Cleveland fans.
It's the first week of December, the team still sits atop the Eastern Conference (albeit by a slim margin), and the schedule will become very forgiving in the weeks leading into the Christmas clash with the Golden State Warriors.
The championship hangover won't last forever. If the streak hits four, five, or even six games, though, then you'll have permission to sweat a little.