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By JEFF BARTL
Posted Jan 20 2011 7:03PM The Milwaukee Bucks overcame a plethora of injuries to break out of their latest funk. The Cleveland Cavaliers have had no such luck. Cleveland again looks to halt its longest losing streak in more than eight years when it hosts Milwaukee on Friday night. The Cavaliers (8-33) didn't record one double-digit losing streak during LeBron James' seven-year tenure but already have two this season. They have lost 24 of 25 and enter Friday mired in a 14-game skid, their worst since dropping 15 straight Nov. 6-Dec. 2, 2002. However, a 106-98 loss to Phoenix on Wednesday could be considered an improvement after the team was outscored by an average of 35.0 points in its previous three defeats. That stretch included a 112-57 drubbing from the Los Angeles Lakers on Jan. 11. "Something to build on," said Antawn Jamison, who scored 23 points against the Suns. "But there's no doubt that this is tough." Making matters worse, Cleveland learned Wednesday that starting point guard Mo Williams is expected to be lost for several weeks with a hip injury which already has caused him to miss seven games this season. Williams helped the Cavaliers win the only meeting of the season with the Bucks, scoring 25 points and hitting a jumper as time expired for an 83-81 victory Nov. 24. He joins a Cavs list of injuries which includes Anderson Varejao - out for the season with a torn ankle tendon - guards Anthony Parker (strained back) and Christian Eyenga (sprained ankle), plus forwards Leon Powe (knee surgery) and Joey Graham (strained quad). Daniel Gibson missed the Cavaliers' five-game road trip with an ankle sprain before returning against Phoenix and coming off the bench to score 16 points. "I've been in situations where we had injuries before, but not five or six guys at one time," coach Byron Scott said. "This is new to me." Milwaukee (15-24) played Wednesday without injured starters Brandon Jennings (left foot), Carlos Delfino (concussion) and John Salmons (right hip). Keyon Dooling scored a season-high 23 points as the Bucks snapped a three-game losing streak with a 100-87 win over Washington. Andrew Bogut scored only six points while battling a viral infection, but the Bucks avoided a seventh loss in eight games. Milwaukee, averaging an NBA-worst 91.2 points, reached 100 for only the second time in 16 games. "Scoring's been a problem for us, but (Wednesday) we did a good job of putting points on the board. It was a good shooting night," Dooling said. Delfino may return against the Cavaliers after practicing Thursday, though Salmons, Bogut and Drew Gooden (left foot) were held out. "Sometimes you might have certain guys, sometimes you might not," Dooling said. "We've got to concentrate on our brand of basketball. That's playing hard on the defensive end, executing on offense and playing together." Milwaukee could be poised to turn a corner if it can get on track offensively. The Bucks are allowing 92.9 points per game, third-best in the league. Milwaukee has lost eight of nine to the Cavs overall and 14 of 15 in Cleveland.
Copyright 2011 by STATS LLC and Associated Press. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of STATS LLC and Associated Press is strictly prohibited Copyright 2011 by STATS LLC and Associated Press. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of STATS LLC and Associated Press is strictly prohibited
Cavs lose 15th straight, 102-88 to Bucks
By TOM WITHERS
Posted Jan 22 2011 1:51AM CLEVELAND (AP) The lowly Cavaliers got more lowly. On Friday night, they couldn't beat the worst shooting, lowest-scoring team in the NBA - a squad missing its top two scorers - and lost their 15th straight game. The Cavs are beyond bad, and their losing streak may grow some more. Andrew Bogut scored 23 points, Corey Maggette added 20 and the Milwaukee Bucks took their turn beating up Cleveland with a 102-88 win Friday night over the horrible Cavaliers, who lost for the 25th time in 26 games and seem to be getting worse. Afterward, at least one of the Cavs showed some frustration. "Nobody likes to lose," said guard Daniel Gibson, his eyes widening, his voice steady. "I hate to lose - with a passion. And for me to sit here and say I'm comfortable or I'm OK and it's going to get better, it's enough of saying that. "Now it's time to do it. You've got to do it. You have to go out there and play the game the right way. No more excuses. You have to go out there and do it." The Bucks came in last in scoring at 91.2 points per game, but they passed that with 7:35 remaining, eclipsed 100 points for only the ninth time and easily handled the Cavs, who never led. Cleveland hasn't won since Dec. 18 and there's no easy games on the upcoming schedule. The Cavs visit Chicago on Saturday and New Jersey on Monday. The Nets are the only team with a losing record Cleveland will face the rest of this month. After the Nets, the Cavs play at Boston, Denver at home, at Orlando and Miami. The Cavaliers haven't won on the road since Nov. 9 at New Jersey. "We have to play harder. We have to play smarter. And, we have to be tougher," coach Byron Scott said. "That's the bottom line." Antawn Jamison and Ramon Sessions scored 22 apiece for Cleveland, which got a combined four points from starters J.J. Hickson, Manny Harris and Alonzo Gee. The Bucks came in as the league's worst shooting team (42 percent), but you'd never know it. They made 51 percent of their attempts against a Cleveland team regressing by the day. Even more troubling for the Cavs is that Milwaukee handled them despite not having Brandon Jennings and John Salmons, its top two scorers. Jennings has been out for more than a month since having foot surgery and Salmons rested a sore right hip. Bogut, who has been slowed by a strength-sapping virus, was too much for Cleveland inside. He made 11 of 14 shots and had no trouble posting up when he needed to because the Cavs are without center Anderson Varejao, sidelined with a torn ankle tendon. Bogut underwent blood tests on Friday, and is hoping for the best. "I have my fingers crossed it's nothing too bad," said Bogut, who scored just six points in 36 minutes in a win on Wednesday. "There's definitely something there because my lymph nodes are all swollen. We have to figure out what it is and get the right medication and get rid of it." Keyon Dooling added 12 points and 11 rebounds for Milwaukee, which led by just nine going into the fourth but opened the final 12 minutes with an 11-2 run. Bucks forward Carlos Delfino returned after missing 2 1/2 months with a concussion. Delfino, who had last played on Nov. 6, scored nine points in 23 minutes. "It's a great feeling to be back on the court and playing with the guys," Delfino said. "I felt comfortable. I expected to feel worse. I hadn't been out there in 76 days. I'm very happy." Scott refused to call the game a "must-win" for his team, but with the daunting schedule ahead, it may have been the Cavs' best chance to win for some time. About an hour before tip-off, owner Dan Gilbert tried to make Cleveland's fed-up fans feel better by hinting at possible changes. Gilbert, who on the night LeBron James left promised the Cavs would win a championship before the superstar, wrote on his Twitter page: "You don't panic when things get tough," he wrote. "You think. You examine. You calculate. THEN you strike. And we will strike." It may be time. The Cavs were as healthy as they've been in weeks, and it didn't help. Anthony Parker (back), Joey Graham (leg) and Christian Eyenga (ankle) were all back after missing time with injuries. Cleveland has been so short-handed that the 49-year-old Scott practiced this week. Scott insists the Cavs are not "rebuilding" and said the organization refuses to use that term despite the team's struggles, lack of talent and the fact that Cleveland is playing several rookies. Scott reasoned the Cavs can't be considered in rebuilding mode because they haven't traded Jamison, Hickson or Mo Williams. That could happen soon enough. Notes: Sessions went 14 of 16 from the free-throw line. ... Quicken Loans Arena was only about half filled despite being announced as a sellout of 20,562. ... Scott didn't have many lengthy losing streaks, or lose much at all, when he played for the Los Angeles Lakers from 1983-93. Scott and his "Showtime" teammates Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson and James Worthy expected to win every time out. "When we lost two in a row, it was like a morgue at the training complex," he said. "That group was something." ... Cleveland's club record for consecutive losses is 19, set in 1982. The NBA record for one season is 23.
Copyright 2011 by STATS LLC and Associated Press. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of STATS LLC and Associated Press is strictly prohibited Copyright 2011 by STATS LLC and Associated Press. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of STATS LLC and Associated Press is strictly prohibited
El argentino Carlos Delfino volvió a jugar para Milwaukee Bucks tras un período de inactividad que alcanzó 76 días, producto de una lesión cerebral. Los Bucks vencieron de visitante a Cleveland Cavaliers por 102-108.

El alero santafesino en noviembre del 2010 había dejado de jugar, tras una contractura en el cuello. En marzo de ese mismo año, también había sufrido una lesión en el cuello, ya que en un partido Udonis Haslem, de Miami Heat, se había caído sobre Delfino, causándole una lesión.

En su regreso, el "Lancha" se mostró feliz y expresó su euforia declarando que estaba "contentísimo después de tanto tiempo de inactividad. Volver era algo grandísimo para mí, me sentí vivo de nuevo y estoy con una adrenalina enorme". Y no es para menos, ya que jugó 22 minutos en cancha y convirtió 9 puntos, 3/4 dobles y 1/7 en triples. Además hizo una asistencia y logró 5 rebotes.