The Cleveland Cavaliers saved some of their best basketball for the final quarter of the 2010-11 NBA season last night when they outscored the Washington Wizards 29-19 over the final 12 minutes to beat the Wizards 100-93 in the season finale at Quicken Loans Arena. It was the Cavaliers' 19th win of the season - a bright spot in what has been a season of horrors for the Cavs after LeBron James' defection last summer.
The game was also the final game in the Hall of Fame career of Joe Tait, the radio voice of the Cavaliers. Few, if anyone, can call a sporting event, on the radio, alone, but Tait did and no one was better.
Ramon Sessions scored 27 points for the Cavs while J.J. Hickson added 15 points and 13 rebounds.
"Obviously, it was a good way to close out the season," Cavs head coach Byron Scott said. "Winning in front of the fans is great. Our fans all season long have been unbelievable and they were, again, tonight." Andray Blatche scored 20 points while Maurice Evans notched 15 in the loss. Washington also had a tough season, which included a 25-game road losing streak, and finished 23-59. "I thought our first group played really well," said Wizards head coach Flip Saunders. "We were moving the ball and being active. We dominated in a lot of aspects." The Wizards had a nice 35-23 lead after the first, but let the hometeam back into the game during the second quarter. Cleveland scored the last six points of the half to cut it to a 50-47 deficit at the break. Sessions had four of the points with two free throws and a layin with 37.5 seconds left. The Cavs tied the game nearing the midway point of the third but never could claim the lead, as Washington held a 74-71 edge into the fourth. The hometeam took its first lead of the half, 78-76, on Luke Harangody three- pointer with 7 1/2 minutes left to play. Cleveland then won on a 7-2 run to finish the game. Sessions hit two free throws with just under a minute to play to ice the game.