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James looks for support as Cavaliers face sliding Knicks

Mar 23, 2007 - 2:40 PM New York (30-38) at Cleveland (41-27) 7:30 pm EDT

CLEVELAND (Ticker) -- A banged-up LeBron James is looking for some help. The injury-riddled New York Knicks just need a win.

After reeling off a season-high eight-game winning streak, James and the Cavaliers on Friday aim to snap a two-game skid when they face the sliding Knicks.

One night after a disappointing loss to Charlotte, Cleveland suffered a 98-90 defeat to league-leading Dallas on Wednesday.

With the losses, the Cavaliers now are 2 1/2 games behind Detroit (43-24) for first place in the Central Division and the top spot in the Eastern Conference.

James carried Cleveland in the fourth quarter on Wednesday, scoring 17 of his 31 points in the final period. But the superstar swingman did not receive any support as the Cavaliers' reserves netted just three points.

They will look to get back on track when they face the struggling Knicks, who have lost five of their last seven games, including a disappointing 92-86 home loss to Portland on Thursday.

New York also has lost games to slumping Seattle and New Orleans during its recent slide.

The poor play could not have come at a worse time for the Knicks, who are one-half game behind Indiana (30-37) and Orlando (31-38) for the final playoff spot in the East.

Super sub David Lee returned to the lineup Thursday after missing 11 games with injuries to his right leg. It was an unexpected return for Lee, who was supposed to be out until at least the final week of the regular season.