• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

James, Cavaliers face undermanned Wizards in Game One

Apr 22, 2007 - 1:17 PM Washington at Cleveland 12:30 pm EDT Eastern Conference First Round Game One

CLEVELAND (Ticker) - LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers needed late-game heroics to knock out the Washington Wizards in last season's first round. Thanks to a rash of injuries in Washington, it figures to be easier this time around.

In a rematch of last year's classic opening-round series, James and the second-seeded Cavaliers will take on the No. 7 Wizards in Game One of their Eastern Conference first-round series on Sunday.

Cleveland won seven of its last 10 games and secured the second seed on the season's final day. By finishing one game ahead of Chicago (50-33), Cleveland avoided a matchup with the defending champion Miami Heat.

Last campaign, James entered the postseason not knowing what to expect. But in his debut against the Wizards, he notched a triple-double - collecting 32 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists en route to averaging 35.7 points as Cleveland won in six games.

Despite James' offensive outburst, the Cavaliers won three of those contests by one point, needing miraculous game-winners by James in two of those contests.

However, after losing in the Eastern Conference semifinals last season, the Cavaliers hope for a longer run starting against the shorthanded Wizards, who continue to play without injured All-Stars Gilbert Arenas and Caron Butler.

Hurt by the injuries, Washington lost eight of its last 10 games to drop out of the top spot in the Southeast Division and all the way to seventh in the Eastern Conference.

The Cavaliers took two of three from the Wizards this season, including a 99-94 victory April 6, when Washington was in the midst of a six-game losing streak. James scored 14 of his 25 points in the fourth quarter; Antawn Jamison, in the absence of Arenas and Butler, totaled 27 but just six after halftime.