CLEVELAND -- Upon arriving at Quicken Loans Arena, the Cavaliers received commemorative watches, the latest gifts to celebrate their NBA championship.The Los Angeles Clippers then handed them a second straight loss.J.J. Redick scored 23 points, Blake Griffin matched a career high with 11 assists and the Clippers bounced back from a brutal loss with a 113-94 victory on Thursday night over the Cavs, who have lost two straight for the first time since winning their title.Afterward, there was no panic inside Clevelands locker rm, but rather a measured response to the first real adversity this season. The Cavs also lost in Milwaukee on Tuesday, but LeBron James isnt worried -- yet.Two pretty pr games for sure, said James, who scored 16 but had five turnovers. Youre hoping theyre not back-to-back, but it happens. Now, three games in a row? Thats something to talk about. We need to figure it out. Its different from ftball where you have to wait a whole week to redeem yourself.We get right back at it tomorrow night so well be all right.Chris Paul shk off some early foul trouble and scored 16 and DeAndre Jordan had 15 rebounds for the Clippers, who came in hungry after blowing an 18-point lead and falling in double overtime at Brklyn on Tuesday.Its who we are, I really believe that, said Clippers coach Doc Rivers. We actually played to our potential. We had some adversity, which is great. Chris got in foul trouble and we extend the lead. It was a team win.Los Angeles tk control with a 13-2 run to open the third quarter.Kyrie Irving scored 28 and Kevin Love 16 for the Cavs, who were outplayed for the second game in a row. During Tuesdays loss, coach Tyronn Lue pulled his starters in the second half and J.R. Smith wandered off the flr during play and gave up an easy basket.This wasnt much better as Lue pulled James, Irving, Smith, Love and Tristan Thompson with seven minutes left as it became very clear there would be no comeback for the Cavs, who are in their first true slump since winning the title in June.They were motivated and they came out and played like a desperate team, Lue said.Cleveland failed to make 10 3-pointers for the first time this season, ending its league record to start a season at 16 games.The Clippers outscored the Cavs 27-15 in the third, when James and Co. showed frustration and briefly lost their focus.Irving and Thompson argued on the flr during a timeout, and James was later called for a technical when he pushed the Clippers Alan Anderson to the flr while being fouled on a layup.The Clippers, who opened the season 14-2, tk advantage of Clevelands sloppiness at the start of the third quarter and scored eight quick points before Pauls 3-pointer gave them a 71-52 lead.We played the right way, Paul said. It was important for us to see what it felt like to win a game, when youre running them off like we were and you lose three in a row, you need to get that feeling back just to get your locker rm back right.MR. CUBJames isnt happy about having to wear a Cubs uniform -- minus the cleats -- to Fridays game in Chicago after he lost a bet on the World Series to Dwyane Wade.James wagered on the Cleveland Indians, who were beaten in seven games.I fill my bet, he said. Dont make fun of me guys.TIP-INSClippers: Los Angeles had a season-high 33 assists. .. Rivers was fined $15,000 by the NBA for his outburst in Tuesdays loss. He was assessed two technicals and ejected by referee Ken Mauer. Not shocked at all, Rivers said of the penalty given for verbally abusing a game official and failing to leaving the court in a timely manner after his ejection. Rivers added, It was low, so Im gd with it. ... Redick has made a 3-pointer in 76 straight games, the longest active streak in the league.Cavaliers: James moved past Bob Cousy (6,955) for 16th place on the career assists list. ... G/F Mike Dunleavy was a late scratch because of a concussion. Dunleavy was hit in the head during Tuesdays loss at Milwaukee, but didnt begin showing symptoms until Thursday, according to a team spokesman. ... F/C Channing Frye returned after missing three games following his fathers death.UP NEXTClippers: At New Orleans on Friday to conclude a six-game road trip.Cavaliers: At Chicago on Friday to begin a three-game trip. James will face Wade, his former Miami teammate, for the first time since he signed with the Bulls. Don Larsen Jersey . -- Jaye Marie Green shot a 4-under 68 on Thursday to increase her lead to five strokes after the second round of the LPGA Tours qualifying tournament. Joe Pepitone Jersey . Numbers Game lks into the Canadiens securing the services of Thomas Vanek in a trade with the New York Islanders. The Canadiens Get: LW Thomas Vanek and a conditional fifth-round pick. https://www.cheapyankees.com/1571g-casey-stengel-jersey-yankees.html . Despite dominating possession, Schalke needed an own goal from Nicolas Hoefler for the breakthrough a minute before the interval. The Freiburg midfielder misjudged Jefferson Farfans corner and bundled the ball into his own net. Stephen Tarpley Yankees Jersey . Now tied for second in the league in shtout goals, the 24-year-old likes to see what the opposing goaltender has in store before he ultimately lands on a move. Cory Gearrin Yankees Jersey . Oaklands loss to Seattle clinched the ALs best record for the Red Sox with one day to spare in the regular season. "I think everybody was kind of watching," catcher David Ross said. "Demp (Ryan Dempster) came out before he went to the bullpen and was just yelling that they lost. Here we go again. Its another shortened Thursday slate with limited options at the top. We do have one hurler who (barely) qualifies for elite status, so thats better than nothing. But even the middle and lower tiers dont bring much excitement. On the bright side, there should be plenty of funds available for plenty of top-tier hitters.PitchingEliteThe days only elite option is Drew Pomeranz, who earns a 61 Game Score with a road matchup against the Dodgers. The left-hander has been terrific this season, even away from Petco Park (2.66 ERA), and hes set up very well against a Dodgers team thats been dreadful against southpaws this season (79 wRC+). The Dodgers are middle-of-the-road in terms of whiffs, but Pomeranz combats that with a 10.3 K/9 that ranks top-10 in baseball. Hes also shown a nice flr, fanning six or more in seven straight starts. There arent many options I really like for cash Thursday, but Pomeranz is one of them.SolidRich Hill is another lefty who finds himself in a promising spot, particularly in terms of strikeout potential. The Astros whiff at a 24 percent clip against southpaws, and Hill does a fine job making batters miss, as his 10.3 K/9 would rank top-three in AL if he qualified. And despite featuring a lineup that contains plenty of right-handed power, the Astros have been well below average against lefty pitching in 2016. Hill is both cash and GPP viable.Since the beginning of June, spanning seven outings, Trevor Bauer owns a 1.81 ERA and 0.95 WHIP. Hell lk to continue that stretch of dominance against the Yankees, who have not fared well against righty pitching this season (88 wRC+). Bauers K upside is a bit limited in this one considering the Yanks make so much contact, but hes showcased a nice flr this year. Only once in 12 starts has he allowed more than three runs. Bauer is a worthy cash-game play.The Pirates offense is showing signs of life after completely tanking in June, but Adam Wainwright is showing signs of life as well. After posting a 6.80 ERA through his first eight starts, hes held a 3.09 mark in nine starts since. Hes also put up a respectable 7.9 K/9 rate in those nine outings (5.2 K/9 in the first eight). Theres not enough upside to justify Wainwright as a tournament option. I dont love him for cash, either, given the Bucs recent hot streak (won eight of last 10), but hes at least worth consideration on the shortened slate.Danny Duffys ESPN.com ownership is on the rise, but hes still available in nearly 50 of percent of leagues. Thats kind of hard to fathom considering he owns a 3.14 ERA, 0.99 WHIP and 10.4 K/9 as a starter. In fact, his 6.00 K/BB ratio would rank top-five in baseball if he qualified. On Thursday, Duffy gets a Mariners team thats middle-of-the-road against lefties and strikes out at an average clip. Thats a usable scenario on a short slate like this one.At the halfway mark of the 2016 season, the Braves are still the worst team in baseball versus right-handed pitching, sporting an MLB-worst .284 wOBA and 74 wRC+. In other words, Thursday lks like a fine time to fire up Jason Hammel. Its worth noting that the right-hander is coming off one of the worst starts of his career (10 ER, including five homers, in 4 IP to the Mets). Then again, Hammel has been a stable option this season, allowing more than three earned runs only three times in his 16 starts, and hes in an ideal matchup. Hes worth considering in cash as an SP2.StreamersDoug Fister is not what youd call exciting. He whiffs less than six batters per nine, after all. He has, however, allowed more than three earned runs just twice in his last 14 starts, giving him a solid flr. And his home matchup against the As is prime. The As have been the worst team in the AL against righties this season, sporting an 85 wRC+. Fister is still available in nearly 50 percent of ESPN leagues.Say what you want about Bartolo Colon (that his ESPN.com ownership is just 36 percent says plenty). But the guy just keeps getting it done. Although he still doesnt miss many bats (6.0 K/9), his control continues to be outstanding (1.6 BB/9). A home tilt against the Nationals, who are below average against righty pitching, puts Colon in play as a nice streaming option.Lucas Giolito had his first big lleague start shortened by rain, but he tossed four scoreless innings of one-hit ball against the Mets before he left.dddddddddddd He gets another crack at the Mets, and this time the weather forecast lks much more promising. One of baseballs top pitching prospects, Giolito whiffed just one batter in his first outing, but he showcased plenty of K potential in the minors and matches up well with a Mets team thats fanning 23 percent of the time. Hes still a free agent in 45 percent of leagues.AvoidJustin Verlander has been a DFS asset at times this season, but Thursday is a time when Im steering clear, at least in cash. A trip to Toronto to face the Blue Jays is one of the toughest spots in the game. Not only does the Rogers Centre inflate homers for both right- and left-handed batters, but the Jays mash there, putting up a .339 wOBA this season. They also do plenty of damage against right-handed pitching (.331 wOBA). There are other pitching options available in much better spots.The Rays may whiff at a 24 percent clip versus left-handed pitching, but theyre also the most dangerous team in baseball against lefties this season (127 wRC+). Theres also the fact that Hector Santiago has a tendency to get himself in trouble with walks (3.9 BB/9) and has had homer issues this season. Some will think Santiagos strikeout upside is worth the risk, but for me its not.Perhaps if Tyler Glasnow were debuting against a different team it would be a different story but the last thing you want to do versus the St. Louis Cardinals is give them extra runners via the walk, which is exactly what the Pittsburgh Pirates prized prospect has been doing. Despite a sparkling 1.78 ERA and 1.14 WHIP at Triple-A Indianapolis, Glasnow walked 52 in 96 innings, a 4.8 BB/9. Minor league hitters struggled making contact facing the 22-year old right-hander, fanning 119 times with only 57 hits. A team like the Redbirds should take advantage of the wildness and make better contact, even without Matt Carpenter. If things go as planned, there will be well over 300 more chances to use Glasnow over the next ten years or so, its fine to avoid his first.HittingWe highlighted Fister as a potential streaming option, but the fact remains that hes had trouble against left-handed hitters this season, as theyve put up a .393 wOBA against him. The As may be punchless against righty pitching, but Josh Reddick, whos batting .355 against right-handed pitching this season, and Stephen Vogt are definitely in play. Switch-hitters Coco Crisp and Jed Lowrie could be worthy punts.There are two 10 hitter ratings Thursday, and one goes to left-handed Cleveland bats against Ivan Nova. Playing the top three hitters in the Indians order -- Carlos Santana, Jason Kipnis and Francisco Lindor -- should pay dividends for DFS players.Chad Bettis, whose 5.85 ERA is the worst in baseball, has not fared well at Crs Field this year, as his 6.69 home ERA can attest. Hes shown reverse splits in his career, making Maikel Franco and Cameron Rupp prime plays. Odubel Herrera, who is hitting .329 with all 10 of his homers against righties this season, should be on your radar as well.Opposing Bettis in the Crs Field game is southpaw Adam Morgan, summoned from the bullpen to give Aaron Nola a mental break, not to mention avoiding a confidence-deflating beating. Youll also want to get some exposure to Rockies bats. Morgan has been equally pr against all hitters, so theres no need to get picky here, as most Colorado hitters will be viable options. Nolan Arenado will be one of the days top plays if you can afford him.Chi Chi Gonzalez has yet to prove he belongs in the big leagues. In 16 career appearances, hes walked more than hes struck out and been hammered for a 4.79 home ERA. The Twins are in town and should have plenty of opportunity to get their licks in.Most likely to go yard: Nolan ArenadoArenado versus lefty Morgan at Crs Field? Bk it.Most likely to swipe a bag: Jason HeywardTyler Flowers has thrown out just two of 34 basestealers this season. Sounds like the perfect opportunity for Heyward to try to generate ?offense on the basepaths. ' ' '