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LeBron hopes to get Cavs back on track in Denver

Nov 7, 2014 - 3:25 PM (SportsNetwork.com) - The star-studded Cleveland Cavaliers are off to a poor 1-3 start and hope to silence the critics when they close out a four-game road trip Friday against the Denver Nuggets.

The Cavaliers dropped a 102-100 decision to the Utah Jazz on Wednesday, as Gordon Hayward buried the game-winning shot at the buzzer.

Kyrie Irving had 34 points and no assists, while LeBron James finished with 31 points and Kevin Love added 14 and eight rebounds. Tristan Thompson had eight of the 13 bench points for the Cavs, who shot 41.7 percent from the floor.

"You have to continue to work the process. You hate to lose as competitors, but we felt like tonight we improved," James said.

The Cavs scored 24 points off 15 Utah turnovers and made 34-of-40 free throws. They only managed six assists, which tied a franchise record for fewest in a game.

James has scored in double figures in 576 straight games.

Denver has lost three in a row since opening the season with a win versus the Detroit Pistons.

The Nuggets lost both games of a home-and-home series with the Sacramento Kings and suffered a 131-109 setback on Wednesday. Randy Foye scored 19 points off the bench and both Wilson Chandler and Ty Lawson had 13 points.

Denver was outscored 37-18 in the third quarter.

"Every game is going to be a tough game for us, we're not that good right now," Nuggets coach Brian Shaw said.

It doesn't get any easier with James and the Cavs in town. Cleveland took both meetings with Denver last season, but the Nuggets have won six of the last nine games in this series.

Cleveland has lost 10 of its past 14 trips to the Rocky Mountains.