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Cavs conclude season with ‘W’
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Photo
Cleveland Cavaliers' Daniel Gibson, right, drives on Washington Wizards' Jordan Crawford (15) in the first quarter of an NBA basketball game Wednesday, April 13, 2011, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Mark Duncan)
By Mary Schmitt Boyer
Cleveland Plain Dealer
CLEVELAND
Anthony Parker started the night by thanking the fans and then he made sure they went home happy after hitting a key 3-pointer late in the Cavaliers’ 100-93 victory over the Washington Wizards on Fan Appreciation Night on Wednesday.
Ramon Sessions led the Cavs with 27 points and made two free throws with 56.6 seconds left that meant free chalupas, which seemed every bit as important to the roaring crowd as the hundreds of other prizes given out all night.
But the biggest cheers were reserved for lockout-bound Josh Cribbs of Browns, the playoff-bound Lake Erie Monsters and retirement-bound Hall of Famer Joe Tait, who called his last game after 39 seasons with the Cavs. After the game, hundreds of fans waited around his seat in the press box to say goodbye.
While they were waiting, they watched a video on the scoreboard from owner Dan Gilbert, who promised better days ahead.
“We will not stop until we deliver a championship,” he told the fans to loud applause.
The Cavs finished 19-63, the second-worst record in the league and have a 19.9 chance of winning the No. 1 pick in the upcoming draft lottery.
Both teams started the game with makeshift lineups. The Cavs were without Baron Davis, who has been battling back spasms and got the night off for his 32nd birthday, as well as Semih Erden (bruised right heel), Antawn Jamison (fractured left little finger), Samardo Samuels (strained left groin) and Anderson Varejao (torn tendon, right foot).
The Wizards were without Trevor Booker (fractured right foot), Nick Young (bruised left knee), Josh Howard (left knee tendinitis) and Rashard Lewis (sore right knee).
Washington started faster, pulling out to a 13-point lead early the second quarter. The Wizards still led, 46-35, with five minutes left in the second quarter. But Sessions scored six points and led the Cavs on a 12-4 run that got them within 50-47 at halftime.
J.J. Hickson had four monstrous dunks to keep the Cavs close in the third quarter, the last of which got them within 74-71 heading into the fourth period.
Andray Blatche had 20 points to lead Washington, which finished 23-59.