Isaiah Thomas is beginning to sound like a broken record.
The Cleveland Cavaliers guard ripped his team Tuesday night following their 116-98 loss to the Orlando Magic. The Cavs led by 21 points in the first half before collapsing in the second half, as Orlando outscored them 65-31 over the final two quarters.
“Right now, when we hit adversity, we go our separate ways,” Thomas told ESPN about his team’s Jekyll and Hyde performance. “And that’s just how I feel, and it looks like that as well. Guys start to go one-on-one on offense, and the defense is every man for himself. The first half we played good, everybody was happy. It was energized, helping each other on the defensive end. Sharing the ball. The ball was moving side-to-side on offense. And then we revert back to what makes us lose games.”
The Cavs have lost 13 of 19 games since Christmas, and Thomas has constantly criticized the team amid its rough patch. However, he now seems resigned to the fact his words haven’t had the desired effect.
“I don’t know,” Thomas said. “I mean, when I address something, it’s like I’m blaming somebody. So I just try to lead by example and do my job. Which, obviously, I got to play better. But something needs to be addressed. I mean, we continue to play like this, we’re going to continue to lose.”
The 30-22 Cavs aren’t in danger of falling out of playoff contention anytime soon, but their startling lack of cohesion isn’t sitting well with anyone associated with the team that plays near the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
