This article is an interesting update on the Blazers/Cavs game last December, suggesting that the LeBron and company may have scaled down their level of play on purpose, possibly to persuade ownership to ship Coach Blatt out the door.
No one will likely confess to the deed, but it would not be the first time for this sort of thing. Rick Barry once tanked a Western Conference Game 7 when his teammates failed to stick up for him during an on-court brawl, and the 1982-83 Boston Celtics all but admitted mailing in their first-round playoff exit that year to get rid of Bill Fitch, a coach known for his dictatorial micro-management.
It would appear, in any case, that there was more to what took place on December 26 than what met the eye. At least the Blazers got a win out of it.
