Cavaliers 97, Wizards 96
To quote Cavs' TV analyst Austin Carr:
"YES! Yes, Yes, Yes Yes!"
I watched the game at work, which is not quite the same as Quicken Loans. Still, the end result was better. LeBron James was unstoppable down the stretch, and the Cavs did what they needed to do in Washington: split. It would be great if they took Sunday's game, but by winning today, LeBron and the boys tilted the scale back in Cleveland's favor.
Most will point to LeBron James' performance, and there's little question he was the MVP, the reason the Cavaliers won. But two plays stand out. First, Donyell Marshall's hustle after a missed 3-pointer forced Washington out of position and into a foul. Then, he drained both free throws to tie the game.
Then, Flip Murray's steal with less than a minute left set up LeBron's heroics. The Cavs were awful in the first half, but one thing is certain: They don't fold. The Cavs were down six, and minus Zydrunas Ilgauskas with under four minutes left. But Larry Hughes stepped up, and the Cavs got it done.
I'm with Mr. Carr on this one.