Music: {allcanada} STRUGGLING RAPTORS LOOK TO HAND CAVS EIGHTH STRAIGHT LOSS

Wednesday, January 5, 2011

{allcanada} STRUGGLING RAPTORS LOOK TO HAND CAVS EIGHTH STRAIGHT LOSS

The lowly Cleveland Cavaliers will try and stop a seven- game losing streak when they welcome the Toronto Raptors to Quicken Loans Arena this evening.

The Cavs are just 8-26 on the season and have won just one game in their last 18 contests. In Sunday's 104-95 loss versus the Dallas Mavericks, Antawn Jamison ended with 35 points and 10 rebounds and Ramon Sessions contributed 19 points, 12 assists and seven rebounds.

"We just didn't have enough guys play well tonight," said Cleveland head coach Byron Scott. "That's pretty much the bottom line. [Jamison] played great and [Sessions] was fantastic. We just needed a few more guys to kick in."

Sessions is averaging 16.5 points, 5.3 rebounds and 6.3 assists in his previous four games. Cleveland has dropped four in a row at home and is 5-11 at the Q this season.

Cavs guard Daniel Gibson (thigh) and center Anderson Varejao (cheekbone) are both listed as questionable for tonight's game.

Toronto will continue a three-game road trip Wednesday and has lost three straight and 12 of its last 15 games. The losing ways continued with Tuesday's 111-91 setback in Chicago, as Andrea Bargnani returned to action after missing four games with a sore calf, finishing with 23 points and six rebounds.

DeMar DeRozan had 18 points and Leandro Barbosa came off the bench for 15 points in the losing cause.

"They're a very good team," Raptors head coach Jay Triano said of the Bulls. "They make you work for every point you're going to score and I think they are starting to gel very well, which makes them very tough."

The Raptors will also visit Boston and are 4-13 away from home this season. Guards Jose Calderon and Sonny Weems could miss tonight's game with separate injuries.

Toronto defeated Cleveland, 101-81, back on Oct. 29 this season at Air Canada Centre, snapping a three-game series losing streak. The Cavs have won eight of 10 and 16 of the past 20 matchups between the teams.

The Raptors are winless in their last 11 games at Quicken Loans Arena.