Cavs put up no resistance

Associated Press

CLEVELAND

Danny Green wasn’t looking for vengeance or payback on the Cavaliers. He got some anyway.

Green scored 19 points against a Cleveland team that released him last season, Tony Parker added 19 and the San Antonio Spurs coasted to their eighth straight win, 125-90 over the lifeless Cavs, who have lost eight in a row and were blown out at home again.

Green played his rookie season for Cleveland, which cut him at the end of training camp in 2011. He’s found a new home with the Spurs, who built a 22-point lead in the first half and rested Parker, Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili for most of the fourth quarter while pushing their lead to 37.

“It does mean a little something to me because this was my first team,” Green said. “It’s nice, but that’s not the important thing for me. It’s more important that we continue to get better. We want to keep winning going into the playoffs.”

Rookie Kyrie Irving scored 13 points for the Cavs in his return after missing one game with a sprained right shoulder. But even with their best player back, Cleveland dropped its eighth straight and followed up a 37-point loss at home to Milwaukee with a 35-point setback.

Coach Byron Scott fears his team may have given up.

“I worry more when me as a coach and my coaching staff want it more than my players. That’s when I start to worry,” Scott said. “And I’m getting worried.”

Antawn Jamison had 15 points for the Cavs, who have dropped 17 of 21 and lost their past seven by an average of 22.3 points. Cleveland has lost home games by 39, 37 and 35 points.