CLEVELAND -- David Blatt took the blame for the Cleveland Cavaliers' lackluster 106-97 loss to the Denver Nuggets on Monday, but Blatt's players disagreed that their coach was the root of the problem.
Blatt called timeout with 5:56 remaining in the fourth quarter and the Cavs trailing by 14 and appeared to tear into his team as they sat on the bench in front of him. The motivation tactic hardly worked, as the closest Cleveland was able to cut the margin the rest of the way was nine, which ended up being their final losing sum.
"I can tell you, I knew going into this game that this was a dangerous, dangerous game and I made that point from the first time we walked in the locker room this morning, but I did not do a good enough job," Blatt said. "Because if you're thinking about ... when I'm animated and I'm trying to get them going, then I'm late. I really am. And I tried. Because I knew it was coming, to be honest with you.
"I've been in too many of these situations. Just too many. I've seen it a hundred times and I did not do a good enough job if they did not respond and come to play. And I'll take responsibility for that too, because I'm surely part of this."
Kevin Love, who finished with 20 points and 11 rebounds and was the lone Cavs starter to shoot better than 50 percent from the field, absolved Blatt of the blame.
"He's done a good job of getting us ready, but he's not out there playing," Love said. "I think it was on us and it's something where we had the gameplan down, we knew our defensive schemes but it's just something that we'll have to get over the hump. We knew that we won a few games in a row. We knew that they were dying for a win and on a back-to-back, but we need to see teams like that -- Eastern Conference (or) Western Conference -- and bury them."
The Nuggets were coming into the game on the second night of a back-to-back after having lost six of their last seven games by an average of 16 points. The Cavs entered after an off day Sunday following a four-game win streak that was capped by a 33-point drubbing of the Atlanta Hawks on Saturday.
"I think we were a little bit too comfortable having a four-game winning streak and coming in against a team that hasn't been playing well," said LeBron James, one of four Cavs players -- along with Love, Kyrie Irving and Dion Waiters -- to score 20 or more. "If today was against the Spurs, I feel like we could be a little more locked in. And that's just a learning experience for us that we have to realize every single night we have to play at the top of our game."
Nuggets swingman Arron Afflalo, who scored a season-high 23 points, acknowledged the affect the Cavs had on his team.
"Obviously, when you play upper-echelon team your focus is a little more heightened," said Afflalo.
Cleveland will welcome in the defending-champion Spurs on Wednesday at Quicken Loans Arena. Cavs players didn't sound so sure it wouldn't get worse before it gets better.
"I don't know what needs to happen," Love said. "Hopefully something not really big or tragic, but it's going to take just continuing to watch film every single day, know who we are and know what we're about and getting out there and getting the job done. There's too many times where we wait too long throughout the game to really assert our dominance out there."
The Cavs coughed up 15 turnovers against the Nuggets leading to 26 points. Irving, who totaled four turnovers in his last six games combined coming into Monday, matched that number against the Nuggets.
"You know, you cut that (turnover-driven point total) down about nine, 10 points and it's a totally different game," Irving said. "So for us going forward, it starts with me just being smarter with the basketball and making better decisions."
James, who played through a head cold after missing shootaround Monday, said his team has to get used to taking their opponents' best shot and adjust their approach accordingly.
"If we're not mentally focused, they're going to embarrass us right out the jump," James said. "It's just that simple. This is the NBA. They come into your building, they want to embarrass you. They're going to compete at a high level."
Added Blatt: "This is a tough league and if you don't bring it and you don't come with, as a minimum standard, the highest level of energy and competitiveness, you're going to get beat.
"It is disappointing, but that disappointment is not only mine. It should be everyone's disappointment because those are the kind of things that make or break you."