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Irving leads Cavaliers over Bobcats

Jan 4, 2012 - 5:15 AM Cleveland, OH (Sports Network) - Kyrie Irving scored 20 points and dished out six assists to lead the Cavaliers to a 115-101 victory over the Bobcats on Tuesday.

Antawn Jamison had 19 points and Tristan Thompson scored 16 off the bench for Cleveland, which has won three of its last four.

Irving was efficient, making 8-of-10 shots in 21 1/2 minutes and handing out six assists. The No. 1 overall draft pick scored 20 points for the second time in three games and said he's getting used to life in the NBA.

"I'm a little more comfortable with the offense," said Irving, "and I think that can be attributed to becoming closer with [my teammates]."

D.J. Augustin dropped in a game-high 26 points and had nine assists while Corey Maggette netted 21 for Charlotte, losers in four straight.

The Bobcats took a seven-point lead at 34-27 after closing the first quarter on a 10-0 run, capped off by an Augustin layup as time expired. Augustine stripped Ramon Sessions with three seconds left, went the length of the court and laid it in as the buzzer sounded.

But the Cavs came back in the second to take a 57-51 lead into the break. A 12-5 run to open the stanza made it 39-39, and it was tied at 49-all later in the stanza before a pair of three-pointers by Anthony Parker put Cleveland up six.

The Cavs then raced ahead by 15 after outscoring Charlotte 23-14 over the first 6 1/2 minutes of the third. The Bobcats cut the deficit to five before Sessions knocked down two free throws at the end of the quarter to give Cleveland an 87-80 after three.

A 20-6 run in the fourth put the Cavs up 107-86.

The Bobcats looked poised to mount a comeback, cutting it to 111-101 with 1:07 remaining, but Cleveland was able to slow down the Charlotte attack and seal the win.

"Our pick-and-roll defense wasn't there and I just don't think we came with enough energy in the second half," said Bobcats head coach Paul Silas. "It's just not going to work unless we play hard all the time."

Game Notes

The Cavs open up a seven-game road trip Wednesday at Toronto...Cleveland outscored Charlotte 56-40 in the paint...Byron Mullens scored a career-high 14 points for the Bobcats.