CLEVELAND, Ohio - If the Cleveland Cavaliers want to be taken seriously, beating the San Antonio Spurs tonight would help.

It's time to put up or shut up. David Blatt is not around. There's no scapegoat.

For a team with championship aspirations, they are voided of a single signature win this season. Their 33-12 record is a product of taking care of opponents they are supposed to beat, but they've faltered against the two supreme Western Conference teams.

Tonight's game is an ABC prime-time affair at Quicken Loans Arena, where the Cavaliers were trounced by Golden State. Before a contest that ended up sealing Blatt's fate, players were ticked off with Stephen Curry's comments about hoping to still smell champagne in the visiting team's locker room.

At game's end, the Warriors had won five straight against the Cavaliers -- three in The Finals, on Christmas Day at home and then the Rout at The Q. Apparently being miffed doesn't equate to being motivated.

San Antonio will be without Tim Duncan tonight. It will be a long finish to the regular season if Cleveland goes 0-for-4 against the Warriors and Spurs. Players wouldn't acknowledge it publicly, but it would have an effect.

Now the team is scratching their heads to the fact LeBron James will be the lone player representative in the All-Star Game in Toronto next month.

"It's definitely a kick in the rear end for our team for sure, knowing all the work we put into it, and knowing the two other guys," James said.

Well, take it out on the best competition. It's time to start gaining ground in the championship conversation.

If the Cavaliers can't win this evening, it just could be they're just not good enough and probably won't be in June, either. Which means GM David Griffin will have to spend more of owner Dan Gilbert's money to improve the roster.

But that shouldn't be the case. This is one of the deepest rosters in the league and it features the long-standing best player in the game. Ownership and management have done their part.

The team got the coach they want. Fun has allegedly been restored. The offense is now operating at a quicker pace. It's time for results. It's time for the players to take ownership. The excuses are gone. Stop beating up on the little guys and knock out someone your own size. San Antonio would qualify as their size.

Get it done.