Cleveland Cavaliers Blog – Page 63 – NBA Blog

Cavs assign forward Jon Leuer to D-League

The Cleveland Cavaliers toady re-assigned second-year forward Jon Leuer to the Canton Charge, the Cavaliers’ NBA Development League affiliate. The assignment is the record 90th of the 2012-13 NBA and NBA D-League seasons and the second for Leuer, who is one of a record 46 NBA players to be assigned to an NBA D-League affiliate this season.

Leuer (6-10, 228, Wisconsin) returns to the Charge following a six-game assignment earlier in the season, when he averaged 20.3 points, 12.3 rebounds, 1.2 steals and 35.8 minutes. He has appeared in five games for the Cavaliers this season, averaging 3.2 points, 2.0 rebounds and 14.4 minutes. Originally selected in the second round (40th overall) of the 2011 NBA Draft by the Milwaukee Bucks, Leuer played in 46 games for Milwaukee last season. In 51 career NBA games, Leuer has averaged 4.6 points, 2.5 rebounds and 12.3 minutes.

A four-year contributor for the Badgers, Leuer averaged 11.2 points and 4.5 rebounds in 123 career NCAA games (68 starts). As a senior, Leuer led Wisconsin with 18.3 points and 7.2 rebounds per game and was a First Team All-Big Ten selection by the coaches.

Leuer is expected to join the Charge today and be available tonight when they face the Springfield Armor in Massachusetts.

Anderson Varejao remains out with knee injury

Cavaliers center Anderson Varejao is out for Cleveland’s game against Sacramento because of a bruised right knee.

Varejao, the NBA’s leading rebounder, will miss his seventh straight game. He hasn’t played since Dec. 18 when he injured the knee against Toronto.

Varejao returned to practice in a limited role Monday, but hasn’t gone through contact drills.

— Reported by the Associated Press

Brook Lopez scores 35 in Nets win over Cavs

Brook Lopez scored a season-high 35 points and grabbed 11 rebounds, and the Brooklyn Nets improved to 2-0 under interim coach P.J. Carlesimo by beating the Cleveland Cavaliers 103-100 on Saturday night.

Lopez followed his 26-point, 11-rebound performance in a victory Friday over Charlotte by shooting 13 of 20 from the field, making a number of timely baskets in the fourth quarter that the Nets ultimately needed to hold on.

Deron Williams and Joe Johnson each scored 15 points for the Nets, who fired coach Avery Johnson on Thursday and followed with two victories over losing teams. But now, they head off for major tests at San Antonio and Oklahoma City.

CJ Miles scored 33 points and made eight 3-pointers for the Cavs, but Kyrie Irving capped a miserable shooting night when his tying 3-point attempt went in and out. He finished with 13 points on 5-of-16 shooting.

Tristan Thompson added 17 points and 15 rebounds for the Cavaliers, who played without center Anderson Varejao because of a knee injury. He had a career-high 35 points and 18 rebounds in the previous meeting in Brooklyn and perhaps could have slowed Lopez, who fouled out rookie Tyler Zeller.

— Reported by Brian Mahoney of the Associated Press

Cavaliers waive Donald Sloan, claim Shaun Livingston off waivers

The Cleveland Cavaliers have claimed guard Shaun Livingston off waivers from the Washington Wizards and waived guard Donald Sloan, Cavaliers General Manager Chris Grant announced today from Cleveland Clinic Courts.

The Wizards waived Livingston Sunday night, December 23rd, giving the Cavaliers until today at 5 p.m. to claim Livingston and create the roster space for him.

The Cavaliers rosters now stands at 15.

Livingston, 27, has appeared in 17 games (four starts) for the Wizards, averaging 3.7 points, 2.2 rebounds and 2.2 assists in 18.8 minutes per game. The 6-foot-7, 175-pound guard out of Peoria Central (IL) High School is in his eighth NBA season and has career averages of 6.6 points on .457 shooting, 2.6 rebounds and 3.4 assists in 22.4 minutes over 341 games (110 starts).

Donald Sloan has played in 20 games this season for the Cavs, averaging 4.1 points, 1.4 rebounds and 1.9 assists in 12.9 minutes per game. Sloan was signed by the Cavs from the Erie BayHawks of the NBA Development League on March 16, 2012 and has appeared in 53 games (11 starts) during his two-year NBA career, averaging 5.0 points, 1.8 rebounds and 2.7 assists in 17.5 minutes per game.

Cavs recall Jon Leuer from D-League

The Cleveland Cavaliers have recalled forward Jon Leuer from the Canton Charge, the Cavaliers exclusively owned and operated NBA Development League team, Cavaliers General Manager Chris Grant announced today.

Leuer has appeared in six games (all starts) for the Charge this season, averaging 20.3 points on .545 shooting and 12.3 rebounds in 35.8 minutes per game, helping the Charge go 5-1 in those games. Leuer has played in five games this season for the Cavs, averaging 3.2 points and 2.0 rebounds in 14.4 minutes per game.

Cavaliers guard Dion Waiters returns to action

Cavaliers guard Dion Waiters is back in the starting lineup after missing eight games because of a sprained left ankle.

Cleveland hosted Toronto on Tuesday night.

Waiters is averaged 15 points and more than three assists per game. He was injured on Dec. 1.

Waiters was cleared to play late last week. Coach Byron Scott wanted Waiters to go through Monday’s practice session before he returned.

— Reported by the Associated Press

Knicks edge Cavs despite 41 points from mask-wearing Kyrie Irving

Once they outlasted Kyrie Irving, the New York Knicks could turn their attention to the next point guard coming to Madison Square Garden.

Even Linsanity shouldn’t be as tough to deal with as the guy wearing the black mask Saturday night.

Raymond Felton scored 25 points, Tyson Chandler had 23, and the New York Knicks overcame Irving’s career-high 41 points and the absence of Carmelo Anthony to post a 103-102 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers.

The Knicks won their fourth straight when Anderson Varejao missed the second of two free throws with 1 second left. They improved the NBA’s only unbeaten home record to 10-0, their best start since the 1991-92 team won its first 11 at Madison Square Garden.

”Guys stepped up. Raymond played great, Tyson played great, and it was just enough,” Knicks forward Steve Novak said.

Anthony, the NBA’s No. 2 scorer, missed the game after spraining his left ankle Thursday in the third quarter of a victory over the Los Angeles Lakers. But Chandler scored 21 in the second half and grabbed 10 rebounds, and Felton and Jason Kidd combined for 15 assists.

It almost wasn’t enough thanks to Irving, who had no problems wearing a black protective mask after breaking a bone in his face on a hard fall Friday night against Milwaukee…

Rookie Chris Copeland scored 11 in his first career start in place of Anthony, who had 30 points in 22 minutes before getting hurt when he landed awkwardly after a hard foul by Dwight Howard. The Knicks improved to 2-1 without him, adding this to a surprising rout in Miami on Dec. 6.

— Reported by Brian Mahoney of the Associated Press

Kyrie Irving suffers broken bone in jaw

A CT scan at the Cleveland Clinic following the Cavaliers game Friday night at Quicken Loans Arena vs. the Milwaukee Bucks revealed that Cavs guard Kyrie Irving sustained a small left maxillary fracture.

Irving did not fly with the team to New York City after the game so he could be fitted with a protective mask.

He will travel to New York City today and will be available to play vs. the Knicks tonight at Madison Square Garden.

According to the Associated Press, “Irving was injured when he was knocked down in the first quarter by Bucks forward forward Luc Mbah a Moute, who was called for a foul. Irving’s face slammed into the floor, and he writhed in pain for several minutes before getting up and making two free throws. He stayed in the game. At the end of the quarter, last season’s NBA rookie of the year sat on the bench with a towel on his face, but he played 36 minutes and finished with a team-high 26 points. Following the game, the Cavs indicated Irving would be on the flight to New York, but a CT scan at the Cleveland Clinic revealed what the team described as “a small left maxillary fracture.”

Dion Waiters expected to return Tuesday for Cavaliers

Cleveland guard Dion Waiters is expected to return from a sprained left ankle for the Cavaliers’ game Tuesday night against Toronto.

Waiters, the former Syracuse player taken with the No. 4 pick in the draft, hasn’t played since being injured against Portland on Dec. 1. He has missed seven straight games and won’t play Saturday when Cleveland visits New York. Waiters is second on the team in scoring, averaging 15.2 points.

— Reported by the Associated Press

Kyrie Irving returns, Cavs beat Lakers

There had to be a low point. The Los Angeles Lakers can only hope they’ve reached it.

This chaotic season has gotten worse.

Kyrie Irving scored 28 points in his return after missing 11 games with a broken finger, leading the Cleveland Cavaliers to a 100-94 win over Kobe Bryant and the Lakers, who look nothing like a team projected to win an NBA title – or anything else.

”This is one of the most challenging stretches of my 17 years, and the most baffling, too,” a puzzled Bryant said after the Lakers lost for the eighth time in 11 games. ”We have the talent and personnel to do it, but we’re not, and it’s baffling. It’s extremely frustrating.

”It doesn’t make any sense. We’re still finding ways to lose games.”

Irving added 11 assists in 39 minutes and showed off his dizzying array of moves as the Cavs, who came in with just four wins, ended a five-game losing streak.

Bryant scored 42 points and Dwight Howard had 19 points and 20 rebounds, but it wasn’t enough to stop the Lakers, who were still missing Pau Gasol and Steve Nash, from opening a four-game road trip with a with a loss that could sting for a while…

C.J. Miles scored 28 in his first start this season, Anderson Varejao had 20 and Alonzo Gee 17 for the Cavs…

”I’m very upset,” Bryant said. ”When things get hard, you should get more determined, not shake your heads. It just seems when it rains it pours. It’s like this cloud is following us around at all times. I’m one of the fastest guys on the team – and I’m like 50. What does that tell you?”

— Reported by Tom Withers of the Associated Press