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Walker, Bobcats top Cavaliers

Nov 2, 2013 - 3:47 AM Charlotte, NC (SportsNetwork.com) - Kemba Walker made a go-ahead 3-pointer with 58.3 seconds left to help the Charlotte Bobcats beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 90-84 on Friday.

Walker ended with 23 points, seven assists, three steals and two blocks for the Bobcats, who bounced back from Wednesday's season-opening loss to the Houston Rockets.

"We needed that win," Walker said. "We really wanted to win against Houston, but we made too many mistakes and we corrected it today."

Michael Kidd-Gilchrist added 15 points and six rebounds for Charlotte, which picked up its first win under new head coach Steve Clifford. Bismack Biyombo got the start in place of an injured Al Jefferson and recorded a double-double with 11 points and 10 boards.

Tristan Thompson ended with 21 points and 11 rebounds for the Cavaliers, who started the season with a 98-94 win over the Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday. C.J. Miles and Kyrie Irving tallied 22 and 16 points, respectively.

Miles' layup with 2:08 remaining tied the game at 84. Biyombo was called for offensive goaltending at the other end, but Miles was off the mark with a jumper on Cleveland's next trip down the court.

Walker broke the tie with a shot from the top of the arc. Josh McRoberts then stole the ball away from Thompson, but Walker missed a shot from beyond the arc next time around.

After Jarrett Jack missed a shot from beyond the arc for Cleveland, Gerald Henderson made two free throws to make it an 89-84 game. Walker went 1-of-2 from the foul line following Miles' miss from the three-point line.

Walker and Kidd-Gilchrist combined for 17 of Charlotte's 30 points in the first quarter. The Bobcats led by as many as 10 points in the period and took a 30-23 margin into the second stanza.

Charlotte's lead reached 11, 40-29, on Kidd-Gilchrist's free throw with 8:19 left in the first half. But the Cavaliers responded with an 11-3 run to get within three.

The Bobcats maintained their slim edge and took a 54-49 lead into the locker room.

"Our mental approach, from the beginning, has to be better. And right now, it's not good, especially to start the game," Cavaliers coach Mike Brown said. "And we're getting too many 'my bads.' And when you get two or three 'my bads' from each individual, it adds up. Guys don't understand that, yeah, you can say 'my bad,' but we want to be a championship-level team. And we can't have 15 'my bads' in the first half."

Charlotte used an 8-0 spurt at the end of the third quarter to take a 75-66 margin into the fourth.

But the Cavaliers went on a 10-0 run in the early stages of the final period. Miles' three-point play with 8:20 remaining made it a 76-76 contest. It remained close until the final buzzer.

Game Notes

The Cavaliers took two of three last season against the Bobcats ... Jefferson missed the game with an ankle injury ... Charlotte went 21-of-34 from the foul line, while Cleveland was 16-of-22 ... Jack had 15 points.