clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

NBA Summer League 2012: Cleveland Falls To Charlotte In Opener, 68-64

The Cleveland Cavaliers opened up their 2012 Summer League schedule with a frustrating 67-64 loss to the Charlotte Bobcats on Sunday night after collapsing down the stretch.

With the Cavs holding a one-point lead late after dominating much of the game, a floater by Charlotte point guard Kemba Walker with 6.4 seconds remaining pulled the Bobcats into the lead, which appeared to set the table for a possible game-winning shot attempt for Cleveland. But after being trapped by defenders, rookie Dion Waiters proceeded to call a frantic timeout that his team did not have, which resulted in a game-ending technical foul and sucked the tension out of the building.

Obviously benefiting from the lack of a foul limit was Waiters' fellow rookie Tyler Zeller, who finished with 14 points, five rebounds and seven fouls. While Waiters struggled with his shot and was just 3-for-11 from the field, Zeller's 5-for-9 performance was a very promising sign as the young but frail North Carolina big man assimilates to the NBA game.

Next up for the Cavs is an intriguing Monday showdown with the NBA D-League Select Team in Las Vegas.

For more Cavs Summer League coverage, stay right here with this StoryStream. For more on the Cavs, visit Fear The Sword. And for more NBA news this offseason, check out SB Nation's NBA hub.

Photographs by spatulated, Triple Tri, and chrischappelear used in background montage under Creative Commons. Thank you.