Feb 16, 2013; Houston, TX, USA; Eastern Conference forward Chris Bosh (1) of the Miami Heat during the 2013 NBA all star shooting stars competition at the Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

In a bit of an upset, Team Bosh (consisting of Miami’s Chris Bosh, Swin Cash and NBA legend Dominique Wilkins) defeated Team Westbrook (consisting of the Thunder’s Russell Westbrook, Maya Moore and NBA legend Robert Horry) to win the 2013 NBA Sears Shooting Stars competition with a time of 1:29. Team Westbrook had a golden opportunity to win the competition, as they got to the half-court shot with over a minute to go. But none of their three players could get it done, giving the title away to Team Bosh.

The Sears Shooting Stars competition started off with the West with a matchup of Team Westbrook and Team Harden (consisting of James Harden of the Houston Rockets, Tina Thompson and former NBAer Sam Cassel). Both teams posted the two lowest times of the night, but Team Westbrook won the round with a lightning-quick 29.6-second score. In the East, Team Bosh matched up with Team Lopez (consisting of the Nets Brook Lopez, Tamika Catchings and Muggsy Bogues). Team Bosh, although putting up an average score, moved on due to Team Lopez struggling mightily. The highlight of that matchup was Lopez shooting the half court shot like it was a jumper.

The win for Team Bosh, representing the Eastern Conference, put them ahead in this years East versus West format. The winning conference will get money for charity.

Updated Score: West 20, East 10

Jan 5, 2013; Cleveland, OH, USA; Houston Rockets shooting guard James Harden (13) shoots over Cleveland Cavaliers point guard Kyrie Irving (2) in the third quarter at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports

Earlier this week in the Weekly Roundtable, I mentioned that I wanted the Cleveland Cavaliers to make their 2013 resolution centered on becoming a better fourth quarter team. Through the first three games of the New Year, they have failed miserably at that. Despite matching the Sacramento Kings in the final frame, the Cavs have faltered against the Charlotte Bobcats and most recently the Houston Rockets. In those games, Cleveland’s opponents have outworked them in the final 12 minutes by 18 points.

I kept my resolution in the back of my mind because the Wine and Gold entered the fourth deadlocked with the Rockets, 78-78. The Cavaliers want to show the NBA that their inexperience doesn’t make them a vulnerable target at crucial points, and no better to do this than against the second-best fourth quarter scoring team in the Rockets. Houston is currently averaging 26.5 points in the fourth frame, which is good for second in the NBA. Alonzo Gee had kept the fifth-best scorer in the Association in James Harden to just 10 points and cooled down a hot Jeremy Lin in the third quarter. The stage was set, but the Cavaliers just aren’t ready to perform yet as a whole unit once the pressure sets in.

Costly turnovers and lousy three-point defense led to the Cavaliers demise at Quicken Loans Arena, as Houston and Harden closed out the game and finished with a 112-104 victory. The former Oklahoma City Thunder star totaled 19 points in the final quarter, while Kyrie Irving’s 11 points in the fourth period couldn’t quite match Harden’s offensive output. Three turnovers in that same time from Irving didn’t help the cause as well, as the Cavaliers’ floor general finished with eight total gaffes.

This team is far away from becoming a complete-game squad, but the first quarter offered some promising signs. With each successive game, Tristan Thompson is showing positive signs regarding the evolution of his game. He continued to show his aggressiveness on the offensive boards, as it seems that his follow-through ability is becoming a nightly occurrence in his game. A 12-4 run early in the first quarter gave Cleveland a 10-point lead, and it was capped off by a Thompson follow-up shot. He totaled four points and six boards in the opening frame, and finished with 14 points and 16 rebounds.

Besides Thompson, the duo of Alonzo Gee and Irving made the first quarter an electrifying show for Cavalier fans. Irving assisted on four of Gee’s 11 points to start the game, totaling four dimes in that same time. However, it was a beautiful spin move and finishing layup on Carlos Delfino that had the crowd oohing in the early going.

Jan 5, 2013; Cleveland, OH, USA; Houston Rockets point guard Toney Douglas (15) shoots in the fourth quarter against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports

However, the poor performance from the bench coupled with a lack of discipline on defensive regarding the outside game caused things to sputter in the second quarter. After missing all five attempts from three in the first 12 minutes, Houston got hot before the second half, making 6-of-12 shots from beyond the arc. Lin exploded for 14 points and three assists in the second period, while Patrick Patterson had his way with Luke Walton. The mismatch allowed Patterson to score seven of his 15 points against Walton in the opening two minutes of the quarter. The Cavaliers saw a 10-point swing go in the opposite direction, and needed to recoup during halftime. The Rockets were getting multiple open looks from three, and finished the final three quarters shooting 40 percent from long range.

Luckily for the Cavs, Houston hit a cold patch, especially from the free throw line, in the third quarter. Cleveland’s backcourt of Dion Waiters and Irving countered that with sloppy play to open up the second half, totaling three turnovers in the third period. It was the play of Gee, who got back to where he left off in the first quarter, which helped the Cavaliers tie the game at 78 going into the final stretch. His 18 points made him one of five Clevelanders to finish in double digits. His airtight defense on Harden had the Cavalier small forward well on his way to one of his most impressive complete performances on the season.

But alas, there are four quarters in a basketball game. Kyrie, who finished with 30 points, couldn’t bail the Cavs out this time around. With 1:08 to go in the game, an Irving three and a free throw make brought the game to within three points. It was Harden, a nonfactor for most of the game, who closed out the game with Houston’s final six points. The backcourt duo of Lin and Harden finished with 49 points.

The Cavaliers (8-27) will continue to grow as a team next against the Chicago Bulls on Monday. Tipoff at United Center is set for 8 p.m.

Dec. 29, 2012; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers shooting guard Dion Waiters (3) dribbles the ball against the Brooklyn Nets during the first half at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Debby Wong-USA TODAY Sports

Coming off of a thrilling, at sometimes frustrating, 106-104 win over the Charlotte Bobcats, the Cleveland Cavaliers (8-26) return to Quicken Loans Arena to take on the Houston Rockets (19-14). The Cavaliers will again be without Anderson Varejao and Daniel Gibson, as they both continue to battle their respective injuries. The Rockets also played last night, and mounted a massive comeback to beat the Milwaukee Bucks 105-101 in Milwaukee. According to Yahoo! Sports, the Cavaliers are six-point underdog on their home floor. Tip-off is set for 7:30 p.m., and the game will air live on FSN Ohio in the Cleveland area. In Cleveland, the game will also air live on WTAM 1100.

For the Cavaliers, this is a tough, stylistic game – especially without Varejao. Tyler Zeller and Tristan Thompson both played great against the Bobcats, but it remains to be seen if they can keep that level of play up from game to game – especially in the case with Zeller. Plus, Houston’s best player – shooting guard James Harden – plays a position where the Cavaliers top two players (C.J. Miles and Dion Waiters) are average on defense. Putting Alonzo Gee on Harden could solve this, but that would mean putting a shooting guard on the 6-9 Chandler Parsons, who is playing the best basketball of his young NBA career.

On the bright size, expect Irving to dominate the matchup with Houston point guard Jeremy Lin. Lin is a good player with solid ball handing abilities, but he is not the type of point guard that gives Irving fits. Lin is a shooter first, and is not a great pick-and-roll player. Plus, with Harden on the roster as the primary scorer, Lin isn’t counted on to score 20+ points every night. On defense, he’s an average defender. If Kyrie gets in a groove early against Lin, expect that to continue for the entire game, and for Irving to put the Cavaliers on his back.

Also look to see how Waiters looks off the bench in his third game as the Cavaliers new sixth man. He looks more comfortable in a reprisal of the role he played at Syracuse, but his minutes also have been dwindling down the stretch. If he can get hot early, maybe he’ll get a look in the fourth quarter instead of Shaun Livingston. A big game from Waiters on both ends of the floor would greatly help the Cavs pull out a victory.

For the Rockets, their improvements from a bottom feeder to a playoff contender began with the acquisition of the aforementioned Harden from the Oklahoma City Thunder for Kevin Martin, Jeremy Lamb and picks. Immediately locking down Harden to a five-year, $80-million contract, the Rockets have the star they have been chasing for years. And do not let his subpar Finals performance fool you – Harden is a star in this league. He is as smooth as they come, and has a nice three-point stroke. Harden currently sits fifth in the NBA in scoring with 26.3 points per game, and is also averaging 5.3 assists per game. There was an adjustment period between him and Lin, but the two seem to have figured out how to play together. The Rockets also acquired Omer Asik in the offseason, as the Turkish import will provide a tough test for Zeller at the center position. Overall, the Rockets might be the best scoring team in the NBA, as they currently average 106.1 points per game, which isfirst in all of the Association.

Dec 19, 2012; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Rockets shooting guard James Harden (13) dunks against the Philadelphia 76ers during the fourth quarter at the Toyota Center. The Rockets won 125-103. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Campbell-USA TODAY Sports

The Cavaliers can win this game, but it’s going to take a top-notch effort to get it done. There cannot be any fourth quarter stumbles or any dumb mistakes in general. Zeller and Thompson (and whomever the third big is) will need to hold their own against Asik and Patrick Peterson on the inside. Miles and Waiters will need to make Harden earn the points that he will surely get and Gee will need to do the same against Parsons. With Varejao, this is a game (especially at home) that the Cavaliers could win, but with him out, it’s going to take a team effort. If it is close down the stretch, maybe “Mr. Fourth Quarter” can bail them out again like he did last night. But remember, the Houston Rockets are not the Charlotte Bobcats in any way, shape or form.

Key Stats

• Cavaliers points per game – 94.2 per game  – 24^th in the NBA
• Rockets points per game  – 106.1 per game – 1^st in the NBA
• Cavaliers points allowed – 99.4 per game  – 24^th in the NBA
• Rockets points allowed – 103.4 per game – 29^th in the NBA
• Cavaliers leading scorer – Kyrie Irving, 23.1 points per game
• Rockets leading scorer – James Harden, 26.3 points per game
• Cavaliers rebounds per game – 42.0 per game – 15^th in the NBA
• Rockets rebounds per game – 43.3 per game – 8^th in the NBA
• Cavaliers X-Factor(s) – Dion Waiters, shooting guard and Tyler Zeller, Center
• Rockets X-Factor – Omer Asik, Center