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.
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