Goodbye Coach; Byron Scott Fired

Byron Scott was fired by the Cavaliers because of three losing seasons in which the team did not play well defensively or make satisfactory progress for owner Dan Gilbert. Scott was dismissed one day after the Cavs finished an 82-game rollercoaster of a season that included injuries, blown leads, far too many uninspired performances and a dismal final month. Scott has a 64-166 win-lose record in his three years as a coach with the Cavs.

All-Star guard Kyrie Irving said he was surprised and saddened by Scott's firing.

"I just lost my head coach," Irving said, his voice barely above a whisper. "This is all new to me right now. I'm just trying to get over the loss of my basketball father."

Cavs fall to Bobcats 105-98

The Bobcats defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers 105-98 Wednesday night to match a season-high three-game win streak and finish 21-61, a game ahead of the Orlando Magic.

The Bobcats entered Wednesday night tied with Orlando for the worst record in the league, but Kemba Walker had 24 points and seven assists and Josh McRoberts added 20 points and eight rebounds.

Kyrie Irving had 24 points and 10 assists for the Cavaliers, who finished with the third-worst record in the league (24-58) after losing 16 of their last 18 games, including their six straight to close the season.

Cavaliers coach Byron Scott's future with the team remains uncertain.

The Cavs are just 64-166 in three seasons under Scott following the departure of LeBron James.

Heat down Cavs 96-95

Irving and Tristan Thompson scored 16 apiece for the Cavs, who have lost five straight, 15 of 17 and may soon relieve Byron Scott of his coaching duties.

Cole finished with 16 points, 11 rebounds and 9 assists. Rashard Lewis scored 19 points and James Jones had 14 for the Heat Light, and Miami got win 65 - a number Spoelstra couldn't have imagined.

76ers roll past Cavaliers 91-77 in home finale

Dorell Wright scored 15 points and Thaddeus Young had 14 points and nine rebounds to lead the Sixers to a 91-77 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Sunday.

Spencer Hawes and Jrue Holiday both scored 14 points for the Sixers, who raced to a 19-point lead in the first half and sent the Cavaliers to their fourth straight loss.

Tristan Thompson had 12 points and 12 rebounds for the Cavs, Kevin Jones had 11 points and 10 rebounds and Kyrie Irving scored four points in 18 minutes.

The Cavaliers missed 11 of their first 13 shots and finished at 31 percent in the first half. With the Cavaliers struggling, the Sixers stormed to a 16-3 lead and were ahead 53-34 at the break. The Sixers never looked back and gave their fans one final reason to feel good heading into an uncertain offseason.

Cavs fall to the Pistons 111-104

Kyrie Irving scored 27 points, including 21 in the second half, but missed a 3-pointer that would have given the Cavaliers the lead with 21 seconds left we was clearly affected by fatigue.

The All-Star guard was playing on the second night of back-to-back games for the first time since returning from a shoulder injury. Irving committed two turnovers in the final 2:12 and missed a free throw with 16 seconds remaining.

Andre Drummond scored scored 29 for the Pistons.

Cavaliers past Magic, 91-85

Alonzo Gee put up 19 points as the Cleveland Cavaliers rallied in the fourth quarter to beat the Orlando Magic 91-85.

Tristan Thompson had a great game again with 15 points and 16 rebounds for the Cavaliers, who have won two in a row for the first time since Feb. 26-27.

Cleveland, which broke a season-high, 10-game losing streak Friday in Boston, trailed by seven points late in the third quarter, but took the lead for good early in the fourth and made clutch plays down the stretch.

Tobias Harris scored 26 points, while Nikola Vucevic added 21 points and 21 rebounds for Orlando, which has lost five in a row and 13 of 14. The Magic have dropped 11 straight away from home - the second-longest road losing streak in franchise history.

Thompson, who recorded career highs with 29 points and 17 rebounds Friday, hit two free throws and a hook shot in the late in the final three minutes to help Cleveland maintain its lead.

Cavaliers guard C.J. Miles left the game in the second quarter after being hit in the forehead with an elbow from Vucevic while the two were going for a rebound. Miles was down on one knee for a couple of minutes and walked to the locker room with a towel to his face. He received six stitches and didn't return.

Kyrie Irving, the Cavaliers' All-Star point guard, scored nine points, on 3-of-15 shooting. Irving, who had 10 assists, is 12 for 51 from the field in three games since returning from a shoulder injury.

Cavs end 10-game skid with 97-91 win at Boston

Tristan Thompson new career highs of 29 points and 17 rebounds helped the Cavs to beat Boston Celtics 97-91 at TD Garden. The Cavaliers dominated Boston inside the paint to end its 10-game losing streak.

It was the second time in two days Thompson took on a leadership role for the Cavaliers. After practice Thursday, he lashed out at critics who blame the Cavaliers' woes on coach Byron Scott and rumors that he won't be back for a fourth season. Thompson called the speculation ''bogus,'' saying it was the players' responsibility to work their way out of the slide.

On Friday, he backed up his comments by grabbing every loose ball within reach and leading the Cavaliers to a 58-42 rebounding edge in their first win since March 12. His seven offensive rebounds were just three short of Boston's team total.

Alonzo Gee also had a double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds for the Cavaliers, who avenged their most painful loss of the skid.

The Cavaliers held on to this lead - firmly - two days after getting routed by Brooklyn 113-95 in Cleveland.

The Cavaliers avoided their 11th straight loss, which would have been the second-longest streak under Scott.

The Celtics played without team captain Paul Pierce, who was out with a sore ankle.

Green scored 23 points for Boston and Shavlik Randolph had 16 points before fouling out with 6:57 left in the fourth. Brandon Bass scored 12 and Avery Bradley had 10 points for Boston.

MarShon Brooks leads Brooklyn Nets to a 113-95 victory over the Cavs

 

MarShon Brooks scored 27 points and 7 assists to help the Nets win over Cleveland 113-95. Deron Williams contributed 24 points and 8 assists while Brook Lopez had 14 points. Reggie Evans led the Nets on rebounds pulling 18. Marreese Speights and Kyrie Irving led the Cavs with 16 apiece. Cavs tried to get back in the 4th outscoring the Nets 27-18 but the difference is too much.

Hawks hand Cavaliers ninth straight loss

Devin Harris scored a season-high 25 points and Josh Smith nearly added a triple-double Monday night as the Atlanta Hawks beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 102-94 to improve their chances of securing home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs.

Smith had 18 points, 14 rebounds and eight assists before a sparse crowd in Philips Arena to help the Hawks (42-33) pull within one game of Brooklyn (42-31) for fourth place in the Eastern Conference.

Reserve Marreese Speights scored 14 of his 22 in the final quarter, but the Cavs (22-51) did not seriously threaten after pulling within 58-56 early in the third period.

Shaun Livingston, starting with Kyrie Irving not playing in the second night of a back-to-back, had 14 points and six assists in Cleveland's ninth straight loss.

Harris, who scored 13 of his 17 points in the fourth quarter of Saturday's win over the visiting Magic, picked up where he left off. He scored Atlanta's first seven points and had 11 in the first quarter as the Hawks built a 25-19 lead.

The Cavs' last lead of the night came when guard Wayne Ellington hit a jumper for a 5-4 edge.

Cleveland shot 51 percent in the first half and outrebounded the Hawks 23-18, but the Hawks made six 3-pointers to the Cavs' one. Atlanta's Kyle Korver was good on three 3-pointers to tie Reggie Miller for the fourth-longest streak (68 games) in NBA history making at least one.

Cavaliers fall to the Hornets ; Kyrie Return

Vasquez scored 16 of his 25 points in the third quarter and the Hornets beat the slumping Cavaliers 112-92 on Sunday.

Ryan Anderson added 23 points for the Hornets to help the Hornets bounce back from a blowout loss to Miami on Friday night and snap a two-game skid. Anthony Davis had 17 points and 13 rebounds for his rookies-leading 17th double-double, Brian Roberts scored 15 and Eric Gordon had 14.

Kryie Irving returned from a shoulder injury and led the Cavaliers with 31 points and six assists. Cleveland, which lost its eighth straight, was 1-7 in Irving's absence. Tristan Thompson, Wayne Ellington and Mareese Speights each scored 12 points for the Cavaliers and Shaun Livingston had 11.

76ers beats Cavaliers 97-87

Evan Turner scored 23 points and the 76ers beat Cleveland 97-87 on Friday night, sending the Cavaliers to their season-high seventh straight loss.

C.J. Miles scored 19 points for Cleveland, which had lost six in a row on two previous occasions. The Cavaliers trailed 77-66 after three quarters, but cut the margin to 78-74 early in the fourth. Turner hit a 3-pointer and a jumper to push the lead back to nine. Holiday added two 3-pointers and scored in the lane to keep the Sixers comfortably ahead.


Philadelphia, which is 2-16 on the road since Jan. 2, took control in the second half to keep its faint playoff hopes alive.

Philadelphia is ninth in the Eastern Conference, but sits 6 1/2 games behind Milwaukee in the race for the eighth and final playoff spot with 10 contests to play.

Turner, who had three points at halftime, scored 13 in the first seven minutes of the third quarter and knocked down several timely shots to help the Sixers build their lead.

The last few weeks have been anything but cool for the Cavaliers, who played again without their starting backcourt of Kyrie Irving (bruised shoulder) and Dion Waiters (sore knee). Cleveland, which has the third-worst record in the East, was officially eliminated from postseason contention Thursday when Milwaukee defeated the Los Angeles Lakers.

In addition to injuries, the Cavaliers' previous three losses were particularly frustrating. Cleveland squandered a 27-point lead in the second half and lost to Miami at home, was blown out by 38 points in Houston the following game for its worst loss of the season and let a 14-point lead with eight minutes to play get away at home and lost at the buzzer against Boston on Wednesday.

Jrue Holiday had 20 points and Thaddeus Young added 18 for the Sixers, who used a 20-2 run that began late in the second quarter and extended into the third to take command.

Spencer Hawes had 16 points and 11 rebounds for Philadelphia, but Turner, who played his college ball at Ohio State, was the biggest difference.

Jeff Green Buzzer doom Cavs 93-92

CJ Miles and Speights both scored 13 pts each for the Cavs as the Cavs couldn't close out the game leading by 6 at the start of the fourth. Wayne Ellington scored 16 points to lead Cleveland, which has lost six in a row - matching a season high - and 10 of 12.

Green hit the winning layup at the buzzer and scored 21 points, and the Celtics snapped a five-game losing streak with a 93-92 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday night.

Pierce hit a jumper with 32 seconds remaining to make it 92-91. Following a miss by Shaun Livingston, the Celtics regained possession and called timeout with 9.2 seconds left. The next play, which began in the backcourt, seemed to set Pierce up for the final shot before Alonzo Gee knocked the ball loose in front of Cleveland's bench with 2.1 seconds remaining.

The Celtics regrouped while a video review confirmed they had possession of the ball. Green took an inbound pass from Avery Bradley near the three-point line, drove into the lane and scored over two defenders as time expired.

The Cavaliers were coming off their worst defeat of the season, a 38-point loss at Houston on Friday. Cleveland seemingly had control of the game in the fourth quarter, but lost a battle of teams that have been decimated by injuries.

Boston played without Garnett, who missed his third straight consecutive because of inflammation in his left ankle. Guard Courtney Lee has also missed the last three games of a sprained left ankle.
Cleveland played without All-Star guard Kyrie Irving, who missed his seventh straight game with a bruised left shoulder. Dion Waiters, the Cavaliers' starting shooting guard, was out for the third game in a row with a sore left knee.

It was another frustrating loss for Cleveland coach Byron Scott, whose team was outscored 21-6 with the game on the line.

Heat huge comback beat Cavs keep streak to 24

LeBron James scored 25 points as the Miami Heat overcame a 27-point deficit in the third quarter and won their 24th straight game, 98-95 over the short-handed Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday night to extend the second-longest winning streak in NBA history.

James and his teammates have insisted the record isn't one of their goals, and for more than 30 minutes the defending champions seemed disinterested and on the verge of losing for the first time since Feb. 1. Miami trailed 67-40 with 7:44 left in the third quarter.

But behind the irrepressible James, who added 12 rebounds and 10 assists, the Heat inched closer to history by matching the biggest comeback in the NBA this season, according to STATS.
Although the Cavs were missing All-Star guard Kyrie Irving, Dion Waiters and Anderson Varejao - their top three scorers - they pushed Miami to the limit.

It wasn't until James, playing his fourth game back in Cleveland since leaving as a free agent in 2010, made two free throws with 4.7 seconds left that Miami could relax a little. The Cavs had one last chance to tie it, but C.J. Miles was long with a 3-pointer in the final second, letting Miami off the hook.

Mario Chalmers added 17 points and Dwyane Wade had 11 for the Heat, who outscored the Cavs 30-18 in the fourth quarter and 64-40 in the second half.

Wayne Ellington had 20 points and Tristan Thompson 18 for Cleveland, which went from a stunning upset to blowing the biggest lead in a loss in franchise history.

Green, Hansbrough lead Pacers past Cavs, 111-90

CLEVELAND (AP) -- Indiana coach Frank Vogel wasn't in a very good mood before Monday's game against Cleveland, and it was easy to see why.

Not only had the Pacers dropped two in a row, including a loss to lowly Philadelphia on Sunday, Vogel was going to be without forward David West, who missed the game with a back injury.
Thanks to a balanced attack, Vogel felt much better about things a few hours later. Gerald Green scored 20 points and Tyler Hansbrough, starting in place of West, had 18 points and 11 rebounds to lead the Pacers to a 111-90 victory.

West was out with a sprained lower back sustained against the 76ers, but the Pacers dominated without their second-leading scorer. Green scored 13 points in the second quarter and Hansbrough, making just his second start of the season, led a balanced attack.

Paul George scored 14 points while Roy Hibbert added 12 as the Pacers avoided losing three in a row for the third time this season.

''This was a great team win,'' Vogel said. ''Tyler is a starter in this league. Obviously, we got a big, big lift from Gerald Green.''

However, not everyone in the Pacers' locker room was in a cheery mood. The bad blood that's developed between the teams this season surfaced again late in the third quarter when Cavaliers center Marreese Speights was ejected for a flagrant foul 2 on George, the Pacers' All-Star forward. George was driving for a fast-break layup when Speights grabbed him by the neck and threw him to the floor. The officials called Speights for a flagrant foul and ejected him after looking at the replay.

George made it clear he was unhappy with the hard foul.
''It was a punk play, honestly,'' he said. ''It's as simple as that. Me and Mo Speights are cool, so I don't think it's anything personal, but that was a punk play the way he went after me like that.''

The teams had an altercation in their first meeting when Tristan Thompson and Hansbrough had to be separated after Thompson caught Hansbrough's younger brother, Ben, with an errant elbow. Tyler Hansbrough and Daniel Gibson exchanged words when the teams met in December.

The teams play for the final time this season in Indiana on April 9 and it's obvious the Pacers have left an impression on a young Cavaliers team.

''They came into our house and beat us down,'' said Dion Waiters, who didn't play after the first quarter because of a sore left knee.

''We have to come out and throw the first punch; be men about it,'' said Tristan Thompson, who had 20 points and 11 rebounds. ''Don't sit back and see how Indiana is going to play.''
C.J. Miles led Cleveland with 21 points, but injuries continued to plague the Cavaliers. Waiters will be re-evaluated Tuesday and isn't sure if he will play Wednesday when the Cavaliers host Miami. Cleveland also played its fourth straight game without All-Star guard Kyrie Irving, who is out with a sprained left shoulder.

Green scored 13 points in the second quarter, including three 3-pointers in a stretch of 1:29, to spark a 20-7 run to end the period. Indiana led 40-38 midway through the quarter, but Green had 11 points and Tyler Hansbrough added a three-point play and a layup.

West missed just his second game this season, but Indiana continued to pull away in the second half. The Pacers built a 28-point lead in the fourth quarter.

Jeff Pendergraph added 11 points for Indiana, which had lost four of six. Indiana also maintained its hold on second place in the Eastern Conference standings.

Cleveland has lost three in a row and was down to 10 players by the end of the game.

Spurs win over Cavs, 119-113

Parker less San Antonio Spurs was led by Tim Duncan with 30 points, 12 rebounds and five blocks beating the Cleveland Cavaliers 119-113 on Saturday night.

Kawhi Leonard added 24 points and 13 boards, and Manu Ginobili added 14 points and 10 assists for San Antonio.

Wayne Ellington had 21 points and fellow reserve Marreese Speights added 19 for Cleveland. Shaun Livingston had 16 points, and Alonzo Gee and Dion Waiters added 15 apiece.

Cavs top two players point guard Kyrie Irving and center Anderson Varejao are still out with injuries.

Cavs fall to Raptors 100-96 Kyrie Irving injured

Top Performers:

CLE: D. Waiters 21 Pts, 4 Reb, 2 Ast
TOR: A. Johnson 17 Pts, 16 Reb, 2 Ast

Cleveland rookie Dion Waiters scored 13 of his 21 points in the fourth, Thompson had 11 points and 10 rebounds and C.J. Miles scored 15 off the bench.


Amir Johnson scored 17 points and matched his career high with 16 rebounds, Alan Anderson scored 10 of his 18 points in the fourth quarter and the Toronto Raptors overcame a 17-point deficit to beat the slumping Cavaliers 100-96 on Sunday night.

Irving was knocked out with a left shoulder injury late in the third quarter as Cleveland lost for the fourth time in five games. X-rays were negative and he will have further tests Monday.

Irving was hurt when he collided with Toronto rookie Jonas Valanciunas on a baseline drive with 2:04 left in the third, and he shot the resulting free throws one-handed. Irving made the first but missed the second before walking off and heading to the locker room. He finished with 12 points.

Kyle Lowry had 15 points and nine rebounds, Ross scored 14 points and DeMar DeRozan had 13 points for Toronto, which had lost its previous two meetings with the Cavaliers.

Cavaliers lost to Grizzlies 103-92

Marc Gasol scored 22 points and Jerryd Bayless scored 17 points as the Grizzlies held off a late run to win for the 11th time in 12 games.

Kyrie Irving scored a team-high 24 points, but the Cavaliers were outscored 32-18 in the third quarter after leading 51-48 at halftime.

Cavaliers forward Alonzo Gee scored 12 points while C.J. Miles had 13.

Cleveland Cavs tops Utah Jazz 104 - 101

Cavs outscored the Jazz in the fourth quarter 36 to 25 to salvage a win. Irving scored 20 (7-20) points, 11 in the last 4:21, and Cleveland's All-Star guard made all the big plays down the stretch, rallying the Cavs to a 104-101 victory over the Utah Jazz.

Gordon Hayward scored 25 and Enes Kanter had 17 for the Jazz, who have lost five of six.

Paul Millsap scored 16 points and Alec Burks 14 for the Jazz, which lost in overtime at Milwaukee on Monday. Utah played its third straight game without starting forward Al Jefferson, who has a sprained left ankle.

Knicks 102 Cavs 97

Cleveland Cavaliers fall to the Knicks 102 - 97.

Knicks All-Star forward Carmelo Anthony injured his right knee during the game and did not return. Anthony stumbled near midcourt after catching a pass and fell awkwardly to the floor. When he got up he immediately headed to the locker room with a slight limp.

Kyrie Irving scored 22 points in his return after missing Cleveland's past three games with a hyperextended right knee. Starting power forward Marreese Speights shot 10-for-14 from the field (23 points), and Luke Walton had 12 assists and one steal.

Amare Stoudemire scored 22 points, J.R. Smith added 18 and the New York Knicks overcame a 22-point deficit without All-Star Carmelo Anthony to beat the Cavaliers 102-97 on Monday night, ending a 10-game losing streak in Cleveland.

Steve Novak made three of New York's seven 3-pointers in the fourth quarter as the Knicks rallied and shook off a tough home loss on Sunday, when they blew a 16-point lead to Miami.

Cavaliers' Kyrie Irving return

Kyrie Irving, Cleveland Cavaliers point guard, is on the verge of returning to the starting lineup on Monday against the New York Knicks.

He missed the previous three games due to a hyperextended right knee. He took his full turn in practice on Sunday at Cleveland Clinic Courts.

"Based on what I saw today in practice, there's a good chance he'll play tomorrow," Cavs coach Byron Scott said.

Irving's last hurdle is how he feels when he wakes up Monday morning and whether he gets through shootaround unscathed.

The last time he faced the Knicks, Irving erupted for a career-high 41 points in a 103-102 loss on Dec. 15 at Madison Square Garden.

The Cavs (20-39) have the Knicks' number at Quicken Loans Arena, having won 10 games in a row in the series.

"From what I saw today, he's good," Scott said.

He's been held out of the lineup since the four-point loss at Miami on Feb. 24.

"It was something I think he needed," Scott said. "Obviously, he could have probably continued to play. It just depends on his threshold of pain, because it was going to be painful. But we just didn't see a reason why."

It made more sense for Irving to take some time off. He has missed 14 games this season.