Cavs Even Record with Late Rally
Sloan, getting his second straight start in place of Kyrie Irving – who fractured a bone in his right hand during a summer league practice over the weekend – finished with 19 points. Sloan, a former D-Leaguer himself, went 5-for-8 from the floor and 8-of-10 from the stripe.
Joining Sloan atop the scoring column was rookie Tyler Zeller, who turned in his second straight impressive performance – going 5-of-8 from the floor and 9-for-10 from the line. Zeller and Samardo Samuels led the Wine and Gold with seven boards apiece.
A slimmed-down Samuels added 11 points and a pair of steals. The third-year vet, who came to Vegas at a svelte 243 lbs. only attempted three shots, but was 9-of-10 from the line. As a team, the Cavs shot 84 percent from the stripe.
Luke Harangody added 12 points off the bench, going 4-for-6 from the floor. Harangody, who didn’t play in Sunday night’s contest, picked up the minutes left by Tristan Thompson, who got the night off.
The feisty D-Leaguers gave Cleveland’s summer league squad all it could handle. They trailed by only a point heading into the final quarter – which featured five ties and four lead changes. But Donald Sloan’s three-pointer with just over three minutes to play gave the Wine and Gold just enough breathing space to take the win.
T.J. Campbell, one of the Canton Charge’s shining stars – (and one of the best three-point marksmen in the NBDL) – canned both his attempts from beyond the arc. He finished with 11 points.
Cavs rookie Dion Waiters added 11 points as well, but struggled from the floor – shooting just 4-of-14. On the positive side, he was the only Cavalier to notch more than a single assist, finishing with three.
Jerry Smith, who most recently played for the Springfield Armor, led both squads with 21 points – going 4-for-6 from long-distance.
The beat goes on for the Cavaliers’ summer league squad, which faces Phoenix on Tuesday night.
