Wizards-Cavaliers Preview

By KATE HEDLIN
Posted Apr 25 2012 2:33PM

While the season is nearly over and the Washington Wizards will again miss the playoffs, they are playing at their highest level in years.

The Wizards believe that's a good sign for their future, and they'll go for a fifth straight win Wednesday night when they visit a Cleveland Cavaliers team that's likely to be without rookie star Kyrie Irving.

Washington has the second-worst record in the NBA behind Charlotte but has surprised a few playoff teams in the past two weeks.

The Wizards (18-46) have won four straight and six of eight. Three of those victories came against postseason-bound opponents - at home over Orlando and on the road against Chicago and Miami.

"In the middle of the season, we were still playing different ways and being selfish," point guard John Wall said. "We cleared things up, got some different guys here. Now, we're playing as a team and we're playing the best we played all season."

After stunning the Heat on Saturday, Washington cruised to a 101-73 victory over the Bobcats on Monday as Nene scored 18 points and Wall added 16 with 14 assists.

The Wizards' winning streak is their longest since the 2007-08 season, the last time they made the playoffs.

"If we add a couple of pieces, we know what we have on this team and what we can do when we play together," said Wall, who has recorded three consecutive double-doubles for the first time this season.

One person who will help Washington build around Wall is team president Ernie Grunfeld, who agreed to a new contract Monday.

Team owner Ted Leonsis said in a statement that "Ernie has led the charge to rebuild and change the direction of the Wizards." Grunfeld says he's "excited about the direction that we're headed."

Cleveland (21-43) is also building around its young point guard, but Irving missed the morning shootaround Wednesday and is doubtful due to gastroenteritis. He is coming off a 25-point performance in a 109-101 loss to Memphis on Monday.

That was the Cavaliers' fifth loss in six games and 17th in 21. Cleveland was outscored 32-23 in the fourth quarter, during which Irving didn't score, and he and fellow rookie Tristan Thompson combined to go 1 of 6 at the free-throw line over the final 2:17.

"He's kind of upset that he missed them, but I think it's good for him to go through that type of experience," coach Byron Scott said of Thompson. "It will help him in the long run. ... Sometimes failing is good and I think he will be even better for it."

Despite the defeat, it was an improvement as the Cavaliers' previous five losses were by an average of 21.2 points.

"I'm very satisfied with how hard we're playing and especially how well we played tonight," Scott said.

Cleveland and Washington have split two meetings this season. Both were in the nation's capital, the most recent a 98-89 Cavaliers victory April 14.

Wizards beat Cavs 96-85 for 5th straight win

By TOM WITHERS
Posted Apr 25 2012 10:40PM

CLEVELAND (AP) At the end of a wild season, the Washington Wizards found peace.

It may have taken firing a coach and making a major trade to get them there, but the Wizards are winning the way they once did.

John Wall scored 21 points and added 13 assists as the Wizards extended their longest winning streak since 2007 to five games with a 96-85 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday night.

Wall had 12 points, six assists and four steals in the third quarter, when he accounted for 24 of Washington's 28 points and helped the Wizards open a 14-point lead. He added seven rebounds and seven steals for the Wizards, whose erratic play got coach Flip Saunders fired on Jan. 24.

In March, the team traded center JaVale McGee and guard Nick Young and wound up with center Nene. Those moves and a few other tweaks to the roster have the Wizards finally feeling good about their future.

"Everybody plays good and plays hard," Wall said. "Nobody worries about how many points you're going to score. You can tell the whole group is having a lot more fun."

While Washington's star guard put on a show, Cleveland's watched.

Kyrie Irving, expected to be named the NBA's rookie of the year next month, played only 10 minutes - all in the first quarter - of the Cavs' home finale. He scored just five points and may have gotten his biggest assist afterward when he and his teammates lined up near mid-court and handed over their game-worn jerseys to fans.

D.J. Kennedy led Cleveland with 12 points in his NBA debut.

Wizards rookie forward Jan Vesely had a season-high 12 rebounds and Kevin Seraphin scored 12.

Washington is finishing a disappointing season with an unexpected flourish.

"It's a positive thing for our guys," said interim coach Randy Wittman, who replaced Saunders. "I thought our defense was what broke the game open for us. Our defense ignited things for us offensively."

It wasn't long ago when games between the Wizards and Cavaliers meant something. Washington and Cleveland met in the postseason three straight times from 2006-08, with the Cavs winning all three physical series. However, these days the clubs are collecting lottery Ping-Pong balls instead of playoff wins.

Although the game was meaningless, Wall played as if it mattered.

He scored Washington's first basket with a layup to start the third quarter, and using that speed that few, if any, players in the league can match, Wall blazed through Cleveland's defense almost at will. He went coast-to-coast for one layup, and later threw down a dunk left-handed.

Washington led 77-63 after three before the Cavs climbed back within 10 while Wall took a break. But Wittman brought Wall back with 5:31 left and he quickly turned things back around, grabbing a loose ball before delivering a one-handed, behind-the-back pass to a trailing Vesely for a dunk.

Vesely was fouled and completed the three-point play to make it 94-77.

"When he gets going up and down the floor like that, we're very effective," Wittman said of Wall.

Irving missed the Cavs' morning shootaround with the stomach flu, and the club sent out a release saying the 20-year-old was "doubtful" for the season's final home game.

But Irving was determined to play as a way of thanking Cleveland's fans, and after warming up he was cleared by Cleveland's medical staff. The final decision, though, was left to coach Byron Scott and general manager Chris Grant, who didn't announce Irving would suit up until 30 minutes before tipoff.

"I'm pretty content just to get out there and play in the final home game. Coach Scott told me I was going to get 10 minutes and I got 9:47," Irving said with a smile. "I'll roll those 13 seconds over and I'll have some rollover minutes going forward."

Scott said Irving will sit out Thursday's season finale in Chicago.

Antawn Jamison likely played his final home game for Cleveland. The 35-year-old will be a free agent this summer and said it's improbable he'll sign with the Cavs.

"I definitely have a great feeling this is probably my last home game and tomorrow will be my last game as a Cav," said Jamison, acquired in a 2010 deadline trade to help the Cavs win a title. "I wish the rest of these guys great luck. I definitely think this organization is going in the right direction as far as getting some great talent and slowly but surely putting a championship caliber team together.

"With this coaching staff, some good prospects in this draft, Cleveland can get back to what it once used to be."

The Wizards played without starting guard Jordan Crawford, who is done for the season with a sprained right ankle.

Notes: The Cavs went 3-14 in their final 17 home games. ... Cleveland is 8-27 overall since Feb. 22. ... Scott is convinced Irving's points and assists will both climb in the seasons ahead. "I just think he'll be a more prolific basketball player," he said. "I don't think there's a whole lot on the floor he's not going to be able to do." ... Cartier Martin started for Crawford and scored seven points. ... Wizards F Trevor Booker sat out with left plantar fasciitis.

Notebook: Wizards 96, Cavaliers 85

Posted Wednesday April 25, 2012 11:56PM

By Brian Dulik, for NBA.com

THE FACTS: Point guard John Wall amassed 21 points, seven rebounds, 13 assists and seven steals in 32 electric minutes, leading the Washington Wizards to a 96-85 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers. Center Kevin Seraphin and power forward Nene' added 12 points apiece for the Wizards, who also got seven points and a career-high 12 boards from rookie power forward Jan Vesely. Washington extended its winning streak to five games -- its longest run since Nov. 11-21, 2007. Cavaliers small forward D.J. Kennedy scored a team-high 12 points in his NBA debut, while center Samardo Samuels had nine points and nine rebounds.

QUOTABLE: "Everybody on our team is playing good and everybody is playing hard. Nobody worries about how many points they're going to score. You can tell the whole group is having a lot more fun right now."
-- Wall

THE STAT: Wall accounted for 24 of Washington's 28 points -- and collected four steals and three rebounds -- in a dynamic third-quarter performance. The second-year pro scored 12 points on 5-for-5 field goals and 2-for-2 free throws, and set up 12 other points via his six assists. "When he gets going up and down the floor like that, we're very a dangerous team," Wizards coach Randy Wittman said. "I thought John did a real good job recognizing when he could get to the basket and when he should pass to our open shooters." Washington outscored Cleveland 28-18 in the third period to take a 77-63 lead into the fourth.

TURNING POINT: When Cavaliers coach Byron Scott pulled rookie point guard Kyrie Irving for good with 2:13 left in the first quarter, he essentially waved a white flag to the Wizards. Though Cleveland did build a 34-25 lead in the second, its end-of-the-bench lineups were no match for Washington as the game went on. "I'm just glad I got the opportunity to play," said Irving, who insisted on taking part in the Cavaliers' home finale despite battling gastroenteritis. "I'm pretty content, just to have gotten out there and played in our final home game." The top overall pick in the NBA Draft had five points, one assist and no turnovers in 10 minutes.

QUOTABLE II: "I wanted to play tonight because I wanted to say thank you for all the support they gave us all season. We have the best fans in the world. I can't find the words to thank them enough."
-- Irving

HOT: The Wizards are 7-2 in their last nine games, giving interim coach Wittman a fighting chance to earn the position on a permanent basis. "He does a great job and deserves a look at it," Washington shooting guard Jordan Crawford said. ... Wall netted his 16th double-double of the season, while his seven steals were a team-season high. ... Vesely averaged 9.0 points and 11.5 rebounds in his last two games against the Cavaliers. ... Nene' was 6-for-7 from the floor, raising his field goal percentage to .590 in 10 games with the Wizards. ... Kennedy played a team-high 31 minutes off the bench for Cleveland, going 5-for-6 from the field with six rebounds, three assists and two steals. The former St. John's standout spent the entire NBA D-League season with the Erie BayHawks before being signed by the Cavaliers.

NOT: The Cavaliers went 3-14 in their final 17 games at Quicken Loans Arena -- and finished the season with their fifth-worst home record (11-22) since joining the NBA in 1970. ... Cleveland is 8-27 overall since Feb. 22, when it began a freefall that took it out of playoff contention and into the NBA Draft Lottery for the second year in a row. ... Cavaliers small forward Alonzo Gee and power forward Luke Harangody combined to miss 13 of their 15 field goal attempts. ... Power forward Antawn Jamison was the only Cleveland starter to commit a personal foul, nicely illustrating his team's lack of defensive intensity. ... Wizards shooting guards Maurice Evans, Cartier Martin and Morris Almond bricked 22 of their 28 shots. ... Wall committed a game-high six turnovers, while Samuels led Cleveland with five miscues.

QUOTABLE III: "Kyrie is one of my homeboys and one of the best young players in the league, maybe the Rookie of the Year. I also respect him a lot. It's tough not to play a full game against him, but I guess we'll have to wait until next year."
-- Wall

GOOD MOVE: Following the game, Jamison announced that he will not re-sign with the Cavaliers when he becomes an unrestricted free agent in July. Cleveland acquired the crafty veteran from the Wizards on Feb. 17, 2010, hoping that he could help LeBron James, Shaquille O'Neal and Mo Williams win a world championship, but that squad famously flamed out in the Eastern Conference semifinals -- paving the way for James' defection to Miami five months later. "To (Dan Gilbert) and the rest of the Cavaliers' owners, I can't thank them enough for the opportunity to play here for the last two and a half years," Jamison said. "I also want to say thank you to our fans for all the support they've given us. There have been injuries and things haven't gone our way, but they've been out there for us the whole time."

BAD MOVE: The Wizards gave Crawford (right ankle sprain) and power forward Trevor Booker (left plantar fasciitis) the final two games of the season off, while Irving will sit out Cleveland's season finale Thursday at Chicago. The latter move -- coupled with Scott's odd rotations against Washington -- makes it appear that the Cavaliers are trying to finish with the third-worst record in the NBA. "You have to do what you think is best for the organization," Scott said. The Wizards have locked up the second-worst mark in the league, but Wittman said he has never focused on grabbing extra ping-pong balls in the lottery. "The chips never fall the way you plan, anyways, so I don't worry about it," he said. "There is no perfect scenario. People are always going to be bitching and complaining about something."

NOTABLE: Irving completed his first NBA season averaging 18.5 points and 5.4 assists in 51 games. The Duke product also will lead the Cavaliers across the board in field goal percentage (.469), 3-point percentage (.399), and free throw percentage (.872). ... Small forward Omri Casspi is the only Cleveland player to appear in all 65 games, while Wall and small forward Chris Singleton have maintained perfect attendance for Washington. ... The Cavaliers and Wizards have each used 21 players this season. ... Former Cleveland center Zydrunas Ilgauskas -- now working in the franchise's front office -- was seated near the Cavaliers' bench. "Big Z" said he plans on spending the entire summer in Northeast Ohio, working with the squad's young post players, including center Tristan Thompson and Samuels.

UP NEXT: For the Wizards, Thursday vs. Miami. For the Cavaliers, Thursday @ Chicago.

• Wizards: Blatche, Lewis
• Cavaliers: Erden, Gibson

• Wizards: --
• Cavaliers: --

• Lead Changes: 12
• Times Tied: 6

• Arena: Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland, OH
• Officials: #49 Tom Washington, #44 Eli Roe, #74 Curtis Blair
• Attendance: 18086
• Duration: 1:58