Bobcats 105, Cavaliers 98
CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Kemba Walker scored 24 points, including 15 in the fourth quarter, as the Charlotte Bobcats beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 105-98 on Wednesday night.
The Bobcats led by as many as 24 in the first half, but had to come from behind in the fourth quarter, ultimately sealing the game on two free throws by Walker with 15 seconds remaining and two more from Josh McRoberts with 8.4 seconds left.
The win allowed the Bobcats to finish 21-61 and out of the NBA cellar, thanks to Orlando's loss to Miami. The win also allowed the Bobcats to finish the season on a three-game winning streak, which matched their longest streak of the season.
McRoberts finished with 20 points for the Bobcats, Gerald Henderson scored 15 and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist scored 11.
Kyrie Irving led Cleveland with 24 points and 10 assists. Dion Waiters scored 16, Alonzo Gee and Wayne Ellington scored 13 each, and Tristan Thompson had eight points and 10 rebounds.
McRoberts had 10 points in the first quarter, when the Bobcats hit 13 of 18 shots from the field (72.2 percent) and pulled out to a 34-16 lead. The lead grew to 46-22 with 7:24 left in the second quarter, but the Cavs closed the half by outscoring the Bobcats 25-7 to cut the margin to 53-47 at halftime.
Charlotte then scored the first nine points of the third quarter, but again the Cavs fought back and took a 77-76 lead on a Waiters drive with 9:31 left.
Charlotte led 85-84 when Walker hit a 3-pointer and two free throws on back-to-back possessions for a 90-84 lead, and the Bobcats pushed the lead up to nine again from there.
The Cavaliers finished the season on a six-game losing streak and fell to 24-58, the third-worst record in the league.
NOTES: The game featured two coaches on the hot seat. Published reports say that Cavs coach Byron Scott could be fired as early as Thursday. The Bobcats' Mike Dunlap is hardly on good footing going into the off-season, either. ... The Cavs had won both previous games between the teams this season, including a 106-104 win in Charlotte on Jan. 4 when Irving hit a jumper with 1.0 second remaining. ... Walker came into the game fifth in the league in steals and set a franchise record with his 158th steal of the season on Monday night against New York. ... The Cavs had lost 15 of their previous 17 coming into Wednesday. ... Thompson and Gee both started, making them the first pair of players to start all 82 games for the Cavs since Andre Miller and Clarence Weatherspoon in 2000-01. The Cavs are one of only three teams this season to have two players start all 82 games. The others are Oklahoma City (Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook) and Houston (Omer Asik, Jeremy Lin). ... The Cavs played without Anderson Varejao (vastus medialis split), C.J. Miles (concussion) and Luke Walton (sprained ankle). ... The Bobcats were without Ramon Sessions (sprained knee), Brendan Haywood (stress reaction, foot), DeSagana Diop (knee) and Byron Mullens (ankle). Sessions wound up missing the final 21 games of the season.
