I’m not quite sure where to start with this one.

First and foremost, tonight’s game against the Nets was one of the best showings of basketball Cleveland has put forth since probably the beginning of the season—until the end.

Antawn Jamison was flirting with a double-double as he started off hot in the first half, finishing the game with 26 points and 8 rebounds, but couldn’t get a basket to save his life during the crunch.

Daniel Gibson had a huge three late in the fourth, keeping the Cavs in the hunt for their first win since Dec. 18 against the Nets’ cross-river counterpart, but it came with no further adieu.

The true turning point of this game was in the third quarter, with about 6:40 to go. If you were watching this game, this is the point where New Jersey started really gaining momentum. They started getting into the swing of things, meanwhile on the other side of the court, Cleveland was starting to lose its touch.

The Nets nailed a few key shots, swinging the pendulum back their way. Jamison started struggling and J.J. Hickson was being overpowered down low. You could feel the Cavs starting to run out of the steam from the first half and the Pru center had a home team vibe to it, even if there were like nine people in there.

It was almost like a scene off of “I Love Lucy.” Things slowly started slipping away, little by little, then the bottom fell out. Right when there was a glimmer of hope (Cavs had just tied it up with a few ticks remaining), Brook Lopez nailed a two-step jumper, leaving 1.7 seconds on the clock Ohhh Lucyyy, I’m ho-ome. Even though Cleveland got the ball and had a last-second chance, you could feel that shot not going in. Sure enough, it didn’t.

I'm with Gibson. What a heartbreaker against an ailing Nets team, as the streak could have ended. Now it's at 17. (AP photo)

The loss comes to a struggling Nets team, one the Cavs really could have beaten. It was a better showing than that of the previous game (by the way, I realize I am eating my words on the last blog ‘The skid will end with Milwaukee’) and this team definitely needed a win going into Tuesday’s nightcap against Boston.

Cleveland will go into the Eastern Conference’s top dog’s house and try and do something near-impossible. Fortunately for the Cavs, the Celtics have just come off an embarrassing loss in Washington against a struggling Wizards squad. Reports are saying Shaquille O’Neal will be out for at least two games, so this will help a player like Hickson. But again, he’ll have to worry about Kevin Garnett.

Last time Cavalier fans saw it this dim, a “young” Ronald Reagan was in the Oval Office and Joan Jett was rocking the radio with “I Love Rock’n’Roll.” A light at the end of the tunnel: the basketball uniforms have gotten a whole lot better.

So what if this Cleveland squad has the league’s worst record after starting off near-.500?

So what if these Cavs have dropped 24 of the last 25?

So what if Mo Williams is out for a couple of weeks?

Sometime, something will change for this team. And while the negativity keeps piling up, the losses keep coming (14 straight, but who’s counting), the injuries continually add stress to a group of five who seem lost on the court, it has to end sometime. So why not now? Why not in the Friday night showcase against the Bucks?

Alright, so it’s a bold statement to say “this streak will end right now!” But I’ve grabbed some notes for you fans to stay positive about this team at the half-way mark of this current disaster of a season.

1. The Cavs have won eight of their last nine against the Bucks. It’s always good to see a one-sided match-up, especially when it really is time to see a winner. Last time Milwaukee came to the Q, Mo Williams hit a game-winner as the buzzer sounded, with the final score of 83-81.

2. Cleveland is a place the Bucks have trouble finding a win. The last time Milwaukee was able to pull of a W at the Q was on Nov. 20, 2007 and they only won by four points. Before that, you have to go back to the 2004-05 season to find a Bucks victory in Cleveland.

3. Bambi sucks, Cleveland Rocks. OK, so it’s not a very legitimate reason, but c’mon, we have to find some high points. Have you ever been entertained in Milwaukee, besides all the beer? Ya. Me either.

4. Antawn Jamison has been on fire. Even if he is coming off an injury, it always helps to have a seasoned veteran you can trust with the ball. In the last five games, Jamison is averaging 19 PPG and is coming off a notable game against Phoenix, where he scored 23 points, 6 boards and 2 assists.

5. Losers help. I might have to use this stat a few times this season, but the Cavs have six of their eight wins against sub-.500 squads.

6. Bench battling. This is what the game is going to boil down to– the benches. Right now, the Cavs bench is better. Averaging 36.6 PPG and 14.2 RPG, compared with a 32.5/ 13.7 for the Bucks, Cleveland has a chance to pull out a win when it goes to the sixth through twelfth guys.

7. Lucky #7. On top of all the streaks being talked about, including the 14-straight losses, one is the six-straight home losses. What a better time to stop the skid than on Lucky #7?

8. Vegas, baby. When you’re stretching for reasons why your team can win, why not check the betting lines? Vegas.com has the Cavs as the favorite. ‘Nuff said.

J.J. Hickson is averaging 15.8 PPG and 11.3 RPG. He can be a dominant factor against the Bucks on Friday night.

9. Hey Hey J.J.! Hickson just came off his fourth double-double this season against the Suns. When someone like this is picking up, you gotta say “Hey Hey J.J.!” and hope he hears you… then he’ll say… well, probably nothing. Andrew Bogut usually has an edge over Hickson, but now is a good time to switch it up.

10. This thing has got to end sometime. No, seriously. It does. If it doesn’t happen against the Bucks, well, there’s always the next game.

So even if times have looked more promising and fans have been more positive, the Bucks are going to be victory number 9 for Cleveland. Why not break something so dark and dreary now?

As the tale goes: “Even a blind squirrel can find a nut every now and then.” Well, this Cavs team hasn’t had an acorn in quite awhile, so I’d say it’s about time.