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Irving sends Cavs over Nuggets with late drive

Mar 8, 2012 - 7:14 AM Denver, CO (Sports Network) - Kyrie Irving drove the length of the floor, weaved through three Nugget defenders in the paint, and banked in the game- winning layup with four seconds remaining as Cleveland defeated Denver, 100-99, in a thriller on Wednesday.

Antawn Jamison scored a game-high 33 points to go with nine rebounds and Irving finished with 18 points and eight assists for the Cavaliers, who snapped a six-game skid. Alonzo Gee netted 19 points in the win.

"He basically carried us and that's what he's been doing a lot lately," Cleveland coach Byron Scott said of Jamison. "He's carrying these young guys."

Al Harrington paced the Nuggets with 22 points and Ty Lawson had 18, though he failed to convert a field goal attempt that would have won the game for Denver, which saw a four-game winning streak end in dramatic fashion.

Nuggets center Nene, starting for the first time since missing 10 games with a calf injury, had 13 points in the loss.

Irving's game-winner came 9.1 seconds after Nene made a layup to put Denver back in front, which was preceded by an Irving lay-in that put Cleveland on top, prior to which Nene made a jumper to give the Nuggets the edge.

Such a dizzying play-by-play could go on, as a whirlwind fourth quarter saw 15 lead changes, including nine in the final 2:36.

Neither team led by more than two during that stretch, though Lawson missed a big opportunity to gain some separation.

Accepting a pass from Nene after the center picked off a pass, Lawson sprinted down the floor in transition and put up an uncontested layup attempt that would have given the Nuggets a four-point advantage.

Instead, it bounced off the rim, Anthony Parker grabbed the rebound for Cleveland, and Irving made the ensuing layup and foul shot on the other end for the one-point lead the teams would trade the rest of the way.

Lawson's windmill layup try hit iron as the buzzer sounded, and the Cavaliers escaped Denver with the win.

Cleveland led 57-55 at halftime.

"We're on our home court, we're in a good spot and we don't demand ourselves to play at a high intensity level to let everybody kind of celebrate where we are at," said Denver coach George Karl.

Game Notes

There were 25 leads changes and 15 ties overall...Andre Miller finished with 16 points for Denver...Cleveland's largest lead was seven points, while Denver's was nine...The Nuggets outrebounded the Cavaliers 46-36 and outscored them 16-6 on second chance points.