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Cavs try to stop south Philly skid

Feb 18, 2014 - 3:12 PM (SportsNetwork.com) - The Cleveland Cavaliers will try to keep momentum going after the All-Star break Tuesday night when they visit the Wells Fargo Center to meet the Philadelphia 76ers.

The Cavs won four in a row before the break, but that didn't keep the team out of the headlines.

Kyrie Irving netted 15 of his 31 points in the fourth quarter and the East defeated the West, 163-155, in the 63rd edition of the NBA All-Star Game Sunday.

Irving was 14-of-17 from the field and added 14 assists for the East, who scored the game's final 10 points after trailing by as many as 18 in the third quarter.

Irving won MVP honors in just his second All-Star appearance.

"Coming into this weekend, we had a lot of momentum coming in as a team," Irving said. "And regardless of whether I won MVP of this game or not, my focus level is going to remain the same after the All-Star break, and that's trying to get as many wins as possible."

The Cavs are just three games out of the eighth spot in the Eastern Conference playoff race. Cleveland plays three of its next four at home after Tuesday's tilt.

The 76ers had no representatives in the All-Star game, but rookie Michael Carter-Williams participated in both the Rising Stars game and the Skills Challenge.

As good as the Cavs have been leading up to the break, the Sixers have been much worse.

Philly has lost eight straight and seven in a row as the host.

After back-to-back losses to the Los Angeles Clippers and Golden State Warriors by a combined 88 points, the Sixers fell to the Utah Jazz on Wednesday to complete a western road trip.

The Jazz prevailed 105-100 as their bench destroyed the Sixers second-teamers, 56-10.

"The bench struggled. We were outscored 56-10. We get down 14, I brought the starters back in before I normally do," said Sixers coach Brett Brown.

All five Philly starters reached double figures, with Evan Turner's 21 points leading the way in a losing effort. Thaddeus Young and Carter-Williams each netted 19 and Spencer Hawes scored 16 with 11 boards. James Anderson managed 15.

The Sixers play five in a row at home.

The Cavs have won two straight in this series, both at home, but the Sixers won in Philly on Nov. 8. The 76ers have taken five consecutive home contests against Cleveland.