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Cavs pay a visit to Bobcats

Nov 1, 2013 - 2:55 PM (SportsNetwork.com) - The Cleveland Cavaliers will look for two in a row in this early season Friday night when they visit the Charlotte Bobcats, who will stage their home-opener at Time Warner Cable Arena.

The Cavs knocked off the vaunted Brooklyn Nets Wednesday night, 98-94.

Tristan Thompson, who switched to becoming a right-handed shooter in the offseason, led the Cavs with 18 points and nine rebounds. Kyrie Irving had 15 points and nine assists, but it was a truly solid team effort.

Anderson Varejao, playing his first game after a collapsed lung ended last season prematurely, and Dion Waiters both had 11 points, Jarrett Jack netted 12 and C.J. Miles added 10 off the bench.

There was an Andrew Bynum sighting on Wednesday night, and not just in a suit on the bench. The former All-Star center, who didn't play a minute last season with the Philadelphia 76ers due to knee injuries, scored three points and grabbed three rebounds in almost eight minutes of action.

Bynum will be a game-time decision for the foreseeable future, but with this game Friday and a road contest in Indianapolis Saturday, he's not expected to play in both contests.

"We're not sure," head coach Mike Brown said after practice Thursday. "We'll evaluate him tomorrow after shoot-around and then we'll evaluate him pre-game also."

First overall pick in this summer's draft, Anthony Bennett, scored two points in his NBA debut.

The Bobcats dropped their 2013-14 season debut in Houston Wednesday night, 96-83.

In Dwight Howard's Rockets premiere, Houston out-rebounded Charlotte, 54-37. It didn't help the Bobcats that star free-agent acquisition Al Jefferson played on a gimpy ankle.

"I was a little rusty and I most definitely am not in game shape and I missed a lot of shots I would normally make," admitted Jefferson, who managed 13 points and eight rebounds Wednesday. "I haven't played in two and a half weeks, but it was just good to get back out there."

Josh McRoberts paced the Bobcats with 15 points, followed by 14 from Ramon Sessions off the bench. Kemba Walker contributed 12 points, five assists and four steals, while Gerald Henderson had 11.

New head coach Steve Clifford will make his home debut on Friday.

The Cavs took two of three last season against the Bobcats, including one of two in Charlotte. Cleveland has dropped five of seven as the visitor in this series.