• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers
• Game Tracker

Wizards and Cavs close out campaign in Cleveland

Apr 13, 2011 - 3:10 PM (Sports Network) - A pair of teams finishing extremely disappointing seasons will meet in the Forest City Wednesday when the Cleveland Cavaliers host the Washington Wizards.

Cleveland (18-63) is trying to avoid finishing with the NBA's worst record just one year after going an Eastern Conference-best 61-21 with superstar LeBron James. James, of course, left in the offseason for Miami and his Heat club is currently 57-24.

The Cavs are one game ahead of Minnesota after topping Detroit on Monday when J.J. Hickson scored 20 points and grabbed 11 rebounds in Cleveland's 110-101 triumph at The Palace.

The story of the game, however, was a skirmish between Detroit forward Charlie Villanueva and Cleveland center Ryan Hollins. With 5:47 to play in the fourth, Villanueva and Hollins got together and traded words. A few headlocks were exchanged before the two players were broken up.

Things got a bit interesting after both players were ejected. Villanueva started to run off the court and tried to make his way toward Hollins, who was standing near the Cavs' bench. Villanueva was restrained and escorted to the locker room, while Hollins was taken to the locker room a few minutes later. Police officers were sent to the locker room area to prevent any further activity.

"You just don't want it to escalate like that," Cavaliers guard Daniel Gibson said. "There were a lot of expletives exchanged that I don't think I can repeat, but that stuff happens when your competitive nature kicks in and you just hope it doesn't go as far as it did."

Both players could be facing a suspension.

As far as the game, Boobie Gibson and Ramon Sessions had 17 points apiece for the Cavaliers, who will have two lottery picks in June's NBA Draft, their own and one acquired from the Los Angeles Clippers in the Baron Davis-Mo Williams trade.

Washington, meanwhile, is finishing up a rather ugly season of its own, especially on the road where the team is just 3-37.

Most recently, however, the Wizards played spoiler, albeit against Boston's reserves on Monday. John Wall finished with 24 points and nine rebounds in that one as Washington edged the Celtics, 95-94, in an overtime battle at Verizon Center.

Jordan Crawford scored 17 with six assists while Andray Blatche added 16 points before fouling out as the Wizards won their fourth straight at home and relegated Boston to the third seed in the East. JaVale McGee scored 13 with nine rebounds and five blocks.

"We kind of took it as a sign of disrespect," Wall said regarding the Celtics choice to rest players. "We just wanted to come out and fight."

Washington has taken two of three from the Cavs this season, including a 115-100 win in Cleveland on Feb. 13 that was the Wizards' first road win of the season and snapped the team's 25-game losing streak away from D.C. That victory also came just two days after the Cavaliers halted an NBA record 26- game skid.