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Rookies Thompson, Irving help Cavs top Nets

Mar 20, 2012 - 4:53 AM Newark, NJ (Sports Network) - Tristan Thompson scored 27 points, fellow rookie Kyrie Irving had 26 and the Cavaliers downed the Nets, 105-100, on Monday.

Thompson added 12 rebounds, Irving handed out seven assists and Antawn Jamison had 13 points and 13 boards for the Cavaliers, who closed the contest with an 8-3 run to halt a three-game losing streak.

Gerald Wallace, recently acquired from Portland, finished with 27 points and 12 rebounds for New Jersey. Deron Williams had a team-high 28 points while Kris Humphries chipped in 13 and 11 rebounds. The Nets have dropped three straight and five of six overall.

Thompson put Cleveland on top, 99-97, with a tip-in off of Irving's miss with 1:11 left. Wallace missed a driving left-handed layup on the other end and Irving followed with a contested bucket inside. Williams then got to the basket, but missed an open layup and the Nets were forced to foul with 28 seconds remaining.

Irving made a pair from the foul line, but Gerald Green answered with a three- pointer and New Jersey got the ball back after Irving was called for pushing Wallace on the ensuing inbounds attempt. Williams, though, threw the ball away while trying to hit a rolling Humphries, and Irving made two more from the stripe to seal the final result.

"It was definitely a game where we were both hitting, and some of the reliance fell on me and Tristan," said Irving. "You know, Tristan was making big plays, like you said with the tip-in, so it felt good. Everybody contributed tonight. I think a couple of people on our team were in double figures. So when we're contributing like that, and everybody's on the same page, it feels good."

The Cavs started strong. They used a 7-0 run to establish a 22-11 lead in the first and were up 30-17 after one.

Irving's three midway through the second made it 45-30, marking Cleveland's largest lead, but the Nets responded with a 15-4 burst to pull within four.

They were down 53-50 at the break and Williams opened the second half with a three to tie the game and trigger the tightly contested finish.

"We fought so hard," said Wallace. "I had a drive to the basket and missed the layup. Deron had a drive to the basket, he missed the layup. Those are tough things to swallow when we fought so hard to get ourselves back into the game."

Game Notes

Cleveland improved to 8-12 on the road this season, while New Jersey fell to 5-17 as the host...Nets guard Jordan Farmar did not play due to a sore groin...Williams played his second game after missing the previous four with a calf injury.