by Bill Nichols

    Cleveland's lovable Cavaliers returned to normal last night at the Arena and John Warren topped it off with a super effort in reverse.

    The Lovables ended their one game winning streak, dropping a 109-102 decision to the rallying Portland Trail Blazers -- but that was only part of the fun.

    WARREN MADE a basket for the Blazers.

    Portland tried to match John's feat by playing six men at one time, which, of course, is a no-no.  The Blazers were slapped with a  technical foul.

    The Cavaliers were down by three points, 84-81, at the the tipoff to start the fourth quarter.

    Cleveland won the tip.  And after some jostling, the ball finally wound up with Bobby Lewis.

    With the precision of a Swiss watchmaker, Lewis, facing the Cleveland basket, whirled and threw a long pass to the streaking Warren, who went up for an easy two points -- right in the Portland basket.

    "I THOUGHT I had a basket," Warren said while looking directly at the locker room floor after the game.

    "When I heard the whistle I thought I had been caught for traveling or something.

    "Oh boy.  When it rains, it pours."

    Lewis explained it this way.

    "I had my back to John and when I turned around I saw him breaking for the basket and I threw the ball.

    "When I see a gold shirt going to the basket, I throw it to him.

    "It was a typical Cavalier trick."

    "IT'S TOO bad we didn't foul him and get a three-point play," chuckled Portland coach Rolland Todd.

    "I hollered, don't do it, don't do it," said Cavaliers' coach Bill Fitch.

    "He did it.  I couldn't believe my eyes."

    Todd was asked if he ever saw what Warren did and the old "six men on the floor" trick, and he replied, "I think I did once in  junior high, but on that level they didn't give a technical foul.  They just let the other team have the ball."

    Warren's wrong way basket spurred the Blazers to six straight points as they increased their lead to 90-81 with 11:05 left in the game.

    Before the memorable bucket, Cleveland led nine times and Portland was on top on four occasions and the score was tied nine times.

    THE CAVALIERS, however, led by as many as 12 points in the first half, 47-35, with 6:20 to go in the second quarter.

    Portland then rallied, outscoring Cleveland, 20-8 forcing a 55-all situation at intermission.

    The Cavs had several five point lead in the third quarter, a period in which Walt Wesley scored 11 of his 22 points, but went behind for good with 37 seconds to go in the period.

    Portland moved ahead on a technical foul, charged against, you guessed it, Warren, to put the Blazers up, 82-81.
 
    The deadly shooting of guards Jim Barnett and Geoff Petrie was too much for the Cavs in the final 12 minutes.

    Portland jumped on top by 13 points, 98-86, before Cleveland made a belated run.

    THE CAVS closed the deficit to five points, 99-94, however, Portland wisely called time out, putting a halt to the Cavalier momentum.

    "We were the Mets of basketball tonight," moaned Fitch.  " You can't make as many mistakes as we did and expect to win."

    Cleveland made only 40 of 109 actions shots to 41 of 91 for the Blazers.

    Portland, on record, made more errors than Cleveland, 21-18, but when Cleveland makes them, you never forget them.

    PORTLAND snapped a six-game losing streak.  The Blazers' last victory prior to last night came on Nov. 27 at the Arena, where else?

    The Cavs dropped their 28th game in 30 tries, however, they're 1-2 on Fitch's second season -- and you can't help but love them by some of the things they do, regardless of the score.