Cavaliers 113 - 111 Hawks
Final
  for this game

Gee's putback lifts Cavs over Hawks

Dec 1, 2012 - 4:11 AM Atlanta, GA (Sports Network) - Alonzo Gee scored on a putback of Dion Waiters' missed 3-pointer with three-tenths of a second remaining to give the Cleveland Cavaliers a 113-111 victory over the Atlanta Hawks.

The rookie Waiters misfired from the top of the key, but Gee got position underneath the basket and muscled in a layup to snap the Cavaliers' road losing streak at eight games.

"I thought (Waiters' shot) was good," Gee said. "I had confidence that he was going to make that. He was in a rhythm and I just thought it was going in."

Cleveland also posted its first win over the Hawks since April 2, 2010, ending a seven-game skid.

Jeremy Pargo was one of three Cleveland starters to score 20-plus points, finishing with 22 on 9-of-13 shooting. Waiters registered 14 of his 21 points in the second quarter, while Anderson Varejao posted a double-double of 20 points and 18 rebounds.

Josh Smith led six Atlanta players in double figures with a game-high 25 points. Reserve Lou Williams supplied 18, including a critical 3-pointer off an inbounds pass that tied the game at 111-111 with 13.6 seconds left.

Al Horford had 15 points, 11 boards and five assists for the Hawks, who had won six straight.

"We really wanted to get this win, but they definitely came in and stole one," Smith said.

Atlanta took a nine-point lead into the fourth quarter, but Cleveland moved in front, 99-97, when Daniel Gibson drained a 3-pointer with 4:23 to play. Pargo hit a jumper two minutes later, giving the Cavaliers a 105-99 lead.

The Hawks, though, pulled even on a three-point play by Jeff Teague and a Williams trey.

Down 109-105, Smith nailed a 3-pointer before Varejao made two free throws with 15.8 seconds left.

Atlanta squandered a nine-point lead in the first quarter, but closed out the half on a 20-4 surge to carry a 67-56 advantage into the break.

Game Notes

Gee had 13 points ... Teague ended with 15 points and seven assists ... Cleveland made 21-of-22 free throws ... Atlanta was 23-of-32 at the foul line ... The Cavaliers outscored the Hawks 27-14 in second-chance points ... The game featured 12 lead changes.






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