CLEVELAND,OH -- In the final game of a 5-game homestand, the Cavaliers faced off against the Portland Trail Blazers. Portland, who has struggled this season on the road, came out red hot against the Cavaliers. Canton, Ohio native C.J. McCollum lit up the Cavaliers with 22 first half points. As a team, the Blazers made 11 of 13 3-pointers in the first half, and the Cavaliers couldn't keep up. Portland headed to the locker room with a comfortable 71-48 lead at halftime.
Despite giving up 71 first half points, the Cavaliers were able to trim the Portland lead to 88-84 by the end of the third quarter, after beginning the 3rd with a 19-4 run. In a back-and-fourth 4th quarter, the Blazers were able to hang on to defeat the Cavaliers 123-110. C.J. McCollum played a big role in keeping the lead late into the 4th quarter, consistently hitting shots and finding his teammates open. McCollum finished with 35 points in his homecoming game versus the Cavs.
Cedi Osman continues to improve each game, as he had the hot hand for the Cavaliers tonight, finishing with 27 points and 7 assists. Kevin Love was able to play 28 minutes, as he recorded a double-double, scoring 18 points in pulling in 12 boards. Jordan Clarkson, as he often does, provided a big time spark off of the bench, dropping 19 points on 8-18 shooting.
The Cavaliers will hit the road to take on the New York Knicks on Tuesday, February 28th. Tip-off is set for 7:30 PM ET at Madison Square Garden.