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Lakers host Cavs before lengthy trip

Jan 14, 2014 - 3:21 PM (SportsNetwork.com) - The Los Angeles Lakers will make a quick home appearance at Staples Center Tuesday versus the Cleveland Cavaliers before embarking on a season-long seven-game road trip.

The Lakers went winless on a recent three-game road trip, have lost four straight overall and are just 1-10 in their last 11 games. In a 123-87 beating at the hands of the rival Clippers on Friday, new starting point guard Kendall Marshall led six players in double-digit scoring with 16 points and handed out 10 assists.

Marshall, who was signed by the Lakers on Dec. 20, is averaging 13.6 points and 11.2 assists in five starts this season.

Wesley Johnson and Robert Sacre scored 14 points apiece, while Jodie Meeks and Nick Young both had 11 in defeat. Pau Gasol ended with 10 points and grabbed eight rebounds for the Lakers, who shot just 34.5 percent and committed 21 turnovers for 37 Clipper points.

"We turned the ball over too much," Lakers coach Mike D'Antoni said.

Meeks has a steal in 16 straight games, the longest active streak in the NBA. Meanwhile, Sacre is posting an average of 8.0 points and 7.0 rebounds in his past five games as a starter. Gasol is averaging 18.8 ppg in the new year and has four double-doubles in that time.

Gasol is questionable Tuesday with a toe issue.

After hosting the Cavaliers, the Lakers, who are 8-10 at home, will visit Phoenix, Boston, Toronto, Chicago, Miami, Orlando and New York. Los Angeles has lost six in a row away from home.

The Cavs hope to erase the awful memories of Sunday's 124-80 defeat to Sacramento and trailed by as many as 46 in the fourth quarter (116-70). Kyrie Irving struggled to the tune of seven points on just 3-of-14 shooting and C.J. Miles led the way with 14 points.

Irving, though, eclipsed the 3,000-point mark in his career.

Luol Deng and Earl Clark scored 12 and 11 points, respectively, and Anderson Varejao rounded out the double-digit scorers with 10. The Kings outrebounded the Cavs 50-32 and scored 24 points off 15 turnovers.

"We kept trying to get it back offensively instead of trying to get it back defensively," said Cleveland head coach Mike Brown, "and then when our jump shot wasn't falling, we kept taking them instead of trying to get to the rim to see if we could get to the free throw line."

After leading 32-30 after 12 minutes, Cleveland was outscored 29-18 in the second quarter, 30-11 in the third and 35-19 in the final 12 minutes. The 44- point defeat was the Cavs' biggest loss to Sacramento and the sixth-biggest loss all-time.

Cleveland opened this five-game western trek with a win at Utah and will also make stops in Portland and Denver. The Cavs, who had won two straight and three of five games, are just 3-16 on the road.

The Cavs and Lakers will play the first of two matchups and are slated to tangle Feb. 5 at Quicken Loans Arena. The two teams split a pair of games last season and Cleveland owns a 9-5 mark in the last 14 encounters.

Cleveland has lost three straight and 11 of 14 at the Lakers.