Amy Sancetta / AP

After picking up his second foul as well as a technical foul, Lakers star Kobe Bryant sits on the bench by teammate Steve Blake during a loss to the Cavaliers on Wednesday.

By TOM WITHERS

updated 11:48 p.m. ET Feb. 16, 2011

CLEVELAND - Kobe Bryant slipped a black backpack across his shoulders and left Quicken Loans Arena without talking about what had just happened.

After losing to the lowly Cleveland Cavaliers, nothing needed to be said.

The Lakers hit the All-Star break broken.

Looking nothing like two-time defending NBA champions, they dropped their third straight game, a stunning 104-99 loss Wednesday night to the Cavs — the league's worst team, which avenged a 55-point embarrassment against Los Angeles last month.

The Lakers, who played so crisply and with purpose in recent wins over New York and Boston, look absolutely lost.

"It's a painful, painful loss," said Pau Gasol, who had 30 points and 20 rebounds. "It's very disappointing. I don't understand it."

Ramon Sessions came off the bench and scored a season-high 32 points for the Cavaliers, who were beaten 112-57 by the Lakers on Jan. 11. That loss — the worst in club history — was No. 11 in a league-record streak that eventually reached 26 before Cleveland ended it last week with an overtime win against L.A.'s less-heralded squad, the Clippers.

After his club's worst loss this season, coach Phil Jackson didn't tell his players anything other than what time they're due to report for practice Monday.

"I think they took the break before the game started," he said.

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Playing the finale of a seven-game road trip, the Lakers spent much of the night looking as if they were already on vacation. They threw errant passes, forced outside shots and couldn't catch the Cavs down the stretch despite a frantic comeback.

"It's back to the drawing board," said Lamar Odom, who was asked what's at the top of the team's to-do list. "Defense. Cohesiveness. Our chemistry on offense. I'm not that worried. I think it's things we can fix."

Bryant finished with 17 points on 8-of-25 shooting. Derek Fisher had 19 for the Lakers, who committed 19 turnovers and enraged the normally tranquil Jackson, who screamed at them during timeouts after inexcusable defensive lapses.

Losing in Orlando on Sunday was hardly reason for much concern, but a 20-point setback in Charlotte on Monday left both Jackson and Bryant speechless. Now, a loss to the Cavaliers, who are 3-37 since Nov. 27, is enough reason for the Lakers to be worried.

Odom believes the Lakers coast against lesser teams.

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"That's our problem overall," Odom said. "We take teams lightly at times. We play the cat and mouse game. Sometimes the cat loses."

But as poorly as they played, the Lakers did cut a 10-point lead to two in the final minute. But Anthony Parker and Sessions made two free throws apiece in the last 17.9 seconds.

After the final horn, the Lakers walked slowly toward their locker room and a trip home not knowing what might happen next. With the trading deadline just a week away, the rumors involving Denver star Carmelo Anthony will likely heat up.

This much is clear: Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak needs to do something to awaken his team.

The Cavs, on the other hand, reached the season's unofficial midpoint on a high.

This was their best effort of the season. They played with the energy coach Byron Scott wants every night, and they gave their dedicated fans a taste of what could be ahead. Beyond that, they somewhat erased the memory of being pummeled in Los Angeles.

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Eric Gay / AP

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