LOS ANGELES, United States (AFP) — LeBron James leads Cleveland against the Utah Jazz on Saturday, seeking to celebrate his 33rd birthday with a victory for a Cavs team that has dropped two straight.
James insisted on Friday at the Cavs’ practice in Napa Valley, California, that three defeats in four games hadn’t caused him undue concern.
“I haven’t really looked at it in that manner,” James said. “I just want to try to get better every game. It’s a long season, there’s going to be peaks and valleys and ups and downs.
“In the midst of it, obviously, I don’t like losing.”
The Cavs lost their Christmas Day marquee clash with the Golden State Warriors — a rematch of the last three NBA Finals — then fell 109-95 to the Kings in Sacramento on Wednesday.
They were held to less than 100 points in back-to-back defeats for the first time this season, and Jazz coach Quin Snyder said he expected to encounter a resolute Cavaliers team aiming to finish their three-game Western Conference road trip on a more positive note.
“You always brace yourself for Cleveland,” Snyder said on Friday. “They’re a good team, one of the best teams in the league. They were in the (NBA) Finals. They won the Finals (two years ago). Their group is the same. Obviously, with LeBron, there’s a unique set of challenges that come with him and defending him.”
James compiled a triple-double with 16 points, 14 assists and 10 rebounds in the loss in Sacramento, but overall the Cavs connected on just 43.2 percent of their shots from the field.
They scored just 15 points in the fourth quarter of what James called “just one of those games.”
The Jazz seemingly offer a chance to turn things around. Utah have lost three in a row and 10 of their last 12.
However, James hasn’t won a game in Salt Lake City since December 8, 2010, when he scored 33 points, nine assists and seven rebounds to lead the Miami Heat to a 111-98 victory over the Jazz.
Since then, the four-time NBA Most Valuable player has lost six games on the Jazz’s home floor.
He’d like nothing better than to stop that skid on his birthday — a date he always enjoys marking with a game.
“You want to perform well on your birthday and I’ve been fortunate enough to have a few games on my birthday,” he said. “It’s always great to get to live another year. I don’t take those moments for granted. And not only to be able to live another year, I get to play an NBA game on my birthday. That’s like icing on the cake, literally, for your birthday.”
© Agence France-Presse
