CAVS Ugh! Cleveland drops 15th straight

NEW YORK (AP) -- Without a speck of confidence -- not to mention three key players -- the Cleveland Cavaliers didn't stand a chance against the New York Knicks.
The Cavs could only manage to keep the game competitive for about 12 minutes Monday, eventually falling behind by 28 in the first half of a 125-93 loss to the Knicks.
With 15 consecutive losses, the Cavs are closing in on the single-season franchise record of 19 straight defeats set in 1981-82.
"I know losing is part of the game," rookie Smush Parker said. "But losing 15 straight games?"
Cleveland was without three key players, Ricky Davis (team suspension), Tyrone Hill (sprained ankle) and Darius Miles (knee tendinitis), and the ones who were healthy didn't put up any kind of a fight.
The 32-point margin of defeat matched their second-largest of the season.
"We're just really young. It's no fun," Cleveland coach John Lucas said. "We're not close without all our players."
Allan Houston scored 29 points and Kurt Thomas had a career-high six blocks to go with 22 points for the Knicks, who have put together their first three-game winning streak since January.
The Knicks surpassed the 100-point plateau for just the second time this season.
"We're still going to have problems because of our size, but the team's starting to realize if we're going to win games then we're going to have to play a certain way," coach Don Chaney said.
Latrell Sprewell added 20 points and 11 assists and Howard Eisley had 10 assists for the Knicks, who shot 53 percent, led by Thomas' 11-for-15 effort.
Dajuan Wagner had 25 points and 10 assists for the Cavs.
"I don't know if you can say they're a lottery team right now. That team on the floor tonight, yes, but that team wasn't even close to being full strength," Chaney said. "Once those guys get healthy, they're going to play solid basketball. I wouldn't give up on that team right now."
Things started to go south for the Cavs as soon as backup center Michael Stewart entered the game midway through the first quarter with Cleveland leading 14-12. The Knicks went on a 14-2 run, ending with an 11-foot runner by Houston for a 26-16 lead.
New York had a 9-0 run to start the second quarter and an 8-0 run later in the period, taking a 26-point lead on two free throws by Clarence Weatherspoon with 5:42 remaining that made it 52-26.