“Frauds”: Fans Stunned As Cavs’ 12-Game Streak Ends in Embarrassment, Failing to Match LeBron James’ Legacy

The offense that seemed to overcome any great defense has just crumbled. The Cleveland Cavaliers led by Donovan Mitchell walked into their January schedule hoping to keep their momentum, sitting second in the league for points per game at 122.1, just behind the Memphis Grizzlies. But they hit a rough patch, after failing to score 100 points for the first time this season. Their 12-game win streak came to an abrupt end with an unexpected 108-93 blip against the Pacers!

With this loss, the Cavs failed to match LeBron James‘ legacy, who led the Cavs to 13-game win streaks 3 times!

The Pacers made it possible by overcoming a 15-point lead held by the Cleveland side. And they did it without Tyrese Haliburton in the second half. The away team just couldn’t get things together once the Pacers applied full-court pressure. This threw Cleveland’s offense completely off track, forcing them to settle for isolation jumpers instead of running their usual plays.

The third quarter was where the Cavs really shot themselves in the foot. They turned the ball over 12 times, making it impossible to get into any rhythm. The turnovers, combined with the lack of fluid offense, were a recipe for disaster, and it put Cleveland in a hole they couldn’t climb out of.

Everyone thought the Cavs were the favorites to win. But the Pacers surprised them! Fans had to express themselves after this embarrassing loss for the hopeful title favorites this year.

After losing to the Pacers, fans feel Donovan Mitchell and the Cleveland Cavaliers are not title contenders!

One fan wrote, “Cavs are frauds what a surprise”. A team on a 12-game win streak should be able to handle adversity, but when things got tough against the Pacers, Cleveland unexpectedly didn’t rise to the occasion. They allowed themselves to get out of rhythm, and their lack of adjustment under pressure exposed weaknesses that made them look vulnerable.

“Up 15 at half, no tyrese. Fraud a– cavs” wrote another fan. Given the circumstances, this should have been a game Cleveland controlled, especially with the momentum they had going into the second half and no Haliburton, but it’s not like he was having a good game. In his limited time on the floor, Tyrese just scored 2 points… So he was clearly off the burner today, from the first minute.

But as we saw, the Cavs faltered, letting their lead slip away as Indiana somehow stormed back. It’s one of those games where the Cavs’ lack of consistency and inability to close out strong became more glaring.

One netizen had a rather short and concise take.

“Cleveland = Fakers” they wrote. The “Fakers” label stings even more when you look at Cleveland’s recent stretch of performances. They had defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder—who boast the 2nd best defense in the league!

Up 15 at halftime, it seemed like Cleveland was poised to extend that momentum. No Tyrese Haliburton? Even better! Yet, what followed was a dramatic shift in control, with the Pacers coming back and eventually winning by 15.

Another fan wrote, “Cinderella run is OVVVAAAA”. Cinderella runs are often about teams overachieving, defying expectations, and capturing the hearts of fans with their gritty performances. The Cavs’ streak had them feeling like that quintessential underdog team, much like the 2004 Detroit Pistons or the 2011 Dallas Mavericks.

It’s a painful reminder that championship-caliber teams have to be able to maintain consistency—even when they’re not at their best.

This one fan had an opinion that would make Cleveland fans angry. “Cavs are the worst 1 seed in history of the NBA,” they wrote. Ouch, those are some harsh words. While they’ve earned the top spot in the East, many have viewed it as a byproduct of a relatively weaker conference and more around inconsistency from other teams.

What do you think? Are the Cavaliers title contenders or not?