Coming full circle

The same issues that caused the Cavaliers to miss the playoffs a year ago are creeping up again. Namely, no energy and no defense.
The Cavs wasted a 14-point first-half lead and lost to Sacramento tonight, 97-90. It is loss number five in a row, and now they must go on the road tomorrow to play division rival Chicago. The Bulls are one of the teams chasing the eighth spot in the East, one of the teams that could potentially knock the Cavs out of the playoff picture in the coming month if Cleveland slumps to that extent.
Throughout the second half tonight, the Kings got whatever they wanted, whenever they wanted it, at the offensive end. They penetrated to the basket at will for easy layups and drained jumper after jumper, many from beyond the arc. The shots that didn't go in were stabbed by other Sacramento players for offensive rebounds.
The Cavs' legs looked lifeless tonight. They were outhustled at both ends and laid enough masonry for an office building at the offensive end. They were plagued by turnovers and fouls.
In short, they made you wonder how this team was 11 games over .500 less than two weeks ago.
The Cavs are dangerously toying with letting a collapse mentality sink in. They looked like a beaten ballclub tonight, a team that passed from frustration to depression sometime during the losses to Detroit. Another two or three losses in a row and the slump might become a runaway train, and another frightful March for the fans.