National Basketball Association
BOXSCORE | RECAP
Cleveland 87, Washington 84
When: 7:00 PM ET, Wednesday, December 26, 2012
Where: Verizon Center, Washington, District of Columbia
Officials: #35 Kane Fitzgerald, #48 Scott Foster, #50 Olandis Poole
Attendance: 13846

Cavaliers 87, Wizards 84: Kyrie Irving totaled 26 points and eight assists and Tristan Thompson had a pivotal three-point play in the final minute as visiting Cleveland posted consecutive victories for the first time this season.

Irving found Thompson in the paint and the second-year forward converted the short jumper and subsequent foul shot with 24.4 seconds remaining. After Irving split four free throws in the final 10 seconds, Washington had a chance to tie but Jordan Crawford missed a long 3-pointer at the buzzer.

Emeka Okafor led the Wizards with 17 points and 10 rebounds but he missed a key free throw with 46.2 seconds left and also fouled Thompson. Jordan Crawford also had 17 and Nene chipped in 16 for Washington, which dropped its eighth straight game.

Nene's 10 points in the first 6 1/2 minutes of the game guided the Wizards to an early 12-point lead that dwindled to four after the opening quarter. Irving hit four straight baskets late in the second quarter and his 3-pointer with 11.9 seconds lifted Cleveland into a 45-43 halftime advantage.

After consecutive 3-pointers from Shelvin Mack highlighted a 14-2 run that put Washington ahead by 11 with 5:11 remaining, Cleveland countered with a 13-4 run to draw even at 68 heading into the fourth. The Wizards maintained a slim lead for most of the final period until Dion Waiters connected on a 3-pointer with 3:36 remaining to cap a 7-0 run and give the Cavaliers an 82-79 lead.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Thompson posted his career-high fourth straight double-double with 15 points and 12 rebounds. ... Cleveland C Anderson Varejao missed his fourth straight game with a right knee injury. ... Mack made his first career start at point guard for Washington and had six points, seven assists and six rebounds. Mack appeared in 64 games for the Wizards as a rookie last year and was signed from the NBDL.
Top Game Performances
 
Cleveland   Washington
Kyrie Irving 26 Scoring Jordan Crawford 17
Kyrie Irving 8 Assists Shelvin Mack 7
Tristan Thompson 12 Rebounds Emeka Okafor 10
Kyrie Irving 7 Free Throws Made Nene 4
Luke Walton 3 Steals Shelvin Mack 1
Tyler Zeller 2 Blocks Emeka Okafor 4
Team Stats Summary
 
Team Points FG% 3PM-3PA FTM-FTA Assists Rebounds Blocks Steals Turnovers
Cleveland 87 37.8 10-27 15-23 20 38 3 9 10
Washington 84 46.1 4-18 10-14 22 51 6 4 20
Upcoming Games
  • Washington will play their next game at home against Orlando. The Wizards have a W/L % of .000 after a win and .130 after a loss.
  • Cleveland will play their next game at home against Atlanta. The Cavaliers have a W/L % of .167 after a win and .250 after a loss.