Cavs get good 2nd half in victory

Associated Press

CLEVELAND

Cavaliers coach Byron Scott opened his postgame comments by praising Cleveland’s defense, effort and energy.

“Especially,” he said, “in the third quarter.”

For a change, the Cavs didn’t fall flat on their faces after halftime.

Daniel Gibson scored 18 points, Jamario Moon added 13 and the Cavaliers finally shook their third-quarter blues with a 101-93 win Wednesday night over the Philadelphia 76ers, who lost their fourth in a row and played without swingman Andre Iguodala.

The third quarter has been Cleveland’s downfall all season. “Our nemesis,” Scott said.

Entering the game, the Cavs had been outscored 226-164 in the period, but helped by an 11-0 run, they outscored the 76ers 26-16 in the third and never looked back.

It was only the second time this season that the Cavs outscored their opponent in the third.

“Everybody has been harping on it,” Moon said. “We know if we’re going to win, we have to play 48 minutes and tonight we finally did it.”

Gibson had eight assists and reserve Joey Graham added 13 points off the bench as the Cavs (5-5) ended a two-game slide and got back to .500.

Thaddeus Young scored 17 and rookie Evan Turner had 16 points and nine assists to pace the Sixers, who were missing a key piece in Iguodala. He sat out with a troublesome Achilles’ tendon that caused him to miss two games last week and hasn’t gotten much better.

“We lose a big weapon when Andre doesn’t play,” Sixers coach Doug Collins said. “Without him, we lose his quickness. That’s a huge loss.”

Puzzled by Cleveland’s third-quarter issues, Scott had joked that maybe the Cavs should repeat their dazzling pregame pyrotechnics after halftime to fire up his team. None of that was necessary. All it took was some better shooting, defense and hustle.

It also didn’t hurt to have back energetic center Anderson Varejao. He had missed Cleveland’s previous game with sore ribs, but returned wearing a flak jacket the Cavs got from the Cleveland Browns.

The Cavaliers were without guard Mo Williams, who sat out his second straight game with a groin injury. But Gibson picked up the slack and Cleveland’s bench chipped in 54 points.

With upcoming road games at New Orleans, San Antonio and Indiana, it was important for the Cavs to get a win — anywhere.

The Cavaliers got it by breaking open a back-and-forth game with an 11-0 run in the third, highlighted by a three-point play from Varejao that came after Anthony Parker’s hustle.

Parker ran down a loose ball as he fell out of bounds and delivered a blind, behind-the-back pass to Antawn Jamison, who flipped the ball to Varejao. Cleveland’s center scored, was fouled and made his free throw give the Cavaliers a 72-61 lead.