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CLEVELAND -- The future of the Cleveland Cavaliers looked good in the present on Tuesday night. Jamaal Charles Pink New Be Luvd Jersey . Rookies Kyrie Irving and Tristan Thompson, selected No. 1 and No. 4 respectively in last years draft, led Cleveland to a 115-101 win over the Charlotte Bobcats on Tuesday night. Irving tied a season high with 20 points and had six assists with no turnovers, and Thompson had season highs with 16 points and nine rebounds. "Kyrie makes everyone around him better," Cavaliers coach Byron Scott said. "He gets more and more comfortable with each game. Tristans in that same boat. Hes starting to really understand his role and what he can do in this league." Veteran Antawn Jamison had 19 points as Cleveland moved over .500 for he first time since Nov. 9, 2010, when it was 4-3. The Cavaliers are using Irving and Thompson as centrepieces in their rebuilding effort from last seasons team that finished 19-67. Irving has started at point guard in all five games while Thompson, a power forward from Brampton, Ont., is one of the first players off the bench. D.J. Augustin scored a season-high 26 points for the Bobcats, who have lost four straight since opening the season with a 96-95 home win over Milwaukee on Dec. 26. Charlotte coach Paul Silas was whistled for a technical foul for arguing with an official in the fourth quarter with the Bobcats trailing 108-91. Silas was also displeased with his teams effort, particularly on the defensive end. "Its just not gonna work if we dont play hard all the time," he said. "Were not talented enough to not play hard all the time. You cant just give it away (points on penetration) and let it happen." Cleveland continued its strong three-point shooting, making 10 of 21 from behind the arc. The Cavaliers made 16 of 26 attempts from three-point range Sunday, falling one short of the team record in a 98-82 home win over New Jersey. Back-to-back three-pointers by Daniel Gibson gave the Cavaliers a 103-86 lead midway through the fourth quarter. Clevelands rookies also brought the crowd to its feet with blocked shots in the second half. Irving chased down Augustins breakaway layup attempt in the third quarter, swatting the ball off the backboard with his left hand. "It was just a normal basketball play," Irving said. "I just wanted to contest it the best I can." Thompson also received a thunderous ovation when he blocked Byron Mullens dunk attempt in the fourth quarter. "We all love playing basketball, so why not play this way?" Thompson said. Gerald Henderson had 16 points for the Bobcats after being held scoreless in the first half. Mullens, who played one season at Ohio State, scored a career-high 14 points. Augustin, Corey Maggette and D.J. White scored all of Charlottes 34 points in the first quarter. Augustin ended the period by stealing the ball from Ramon Sessions and scoring on a layup to give him 14 points. The Bobcats hit 12 of 19 shots in the quarter and led 34-27. The Cavaliers finished the second quarter with an 8-2 run, sparked by two three-pointers from Anthony Parker, to lead 57-51 at halftime. Clevelands spurt continued early in the third period. Five points by Anderson Varejao and three-pointers by Irving, Jamison and Omri Casspi helped the Cavaliers build an 80-65 lead. NOTES: Bobcats C Boris Diaw was limited to four minutes in the first half because of foul trouble. ... F Tyrus Thomas (sprained ankle) has yet to play this season. ... Cleveland, which opens a seven-game road trip Wednesday in Toronto, doesnt play at home again until hosting Golden State on Jan. 17. ... C Semih Erden (right thumb fracture) was inactive one day after participating in his first full practice. Scott said Erden will likely play sometime during the trip. Travis Kelce Womens Red Jersey . Spieth again showed game well beyond his 20 years with a 9-under 63 on the North Course, giving him a one-shot lead over Stewart Cink going into the weekend at the Farmers Insurance Open. Anthony Sherman Jersey . The German canoeist says she is suffering from a heart muscle inflammation and has been told by doctors that she cannot compete.SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Challenged for the first time under Major League Baseballs expanded replay system, umpires got it right. The umps went 3 for 3 on Monday as MLB tried out the new format at three spring training games. The first test came at 3:06 p.m. EST in Fort Myers, Fla., after first base umpire Fieldin Culbreth ruled Toronto shortstop Munenori Kawasakis throw pulled Jared Goedert off the bag in the sixth inning. "Im not too sure that youre not right here," Culbreth said Blue Jays manager John Gibbons told him, "but since we havent done it before, lets go take a look." Culbreth answered: "OK. Thats what its for." After 2 minutes, 34 seconds, replay umpire Brian ONora relayed his call by headset, confirming that Minnesota batter Chris Rahl was safe. During the wait, Rahl said he realized he perhaps was part of history. "Its kind of funny. I was thinking, Is this the first one?" he said. ONora made the final ruling from a satellite truck outside the stadium. During the regular season, umpires on the field will check with the replay booth in New York, where an MLB umpire will make the final call. Later in the game, Culbreth rotated and took a turn in the truck, confirming another safe call at first base. "Im looking at this thing as, this is the future of the game. And Im going to treat these games here the same way that Im going to treat them during the regular season," Culbreth said. In the eighth inning, Doug Bernier of the Twins was called safe on a close play at first. As Culbreth studied the replay, the ballpark sound system played a Rolling Stones song with the familiar lyric, "I cant get no satisfaction." The call was confirmed, Bernier was safe. Extra replay also was in place for two games in Arizona -- the Los Angeles Angels vs. Arizona Diamondbacks in Scottsdale and the Chicago Cubs against Milwaukee in Phoenix. Each team in the majors will have at least five exhibition games with the new system in place. In January, owners approved the use of additional video replay to review most calls other than balls-and-strikes. Previously, umpires could only go to replay to review home runs and boundary calls. Moments after the first replay call, Angels manager Mike Scioscia wasted little time in using his challenge. In the top of the second, Luis Jimenez of the Angels tried to steal second. Catcher Bobby Wilsons throw was high but second base umpire Bill Miller ruleed that Aaron Hill tagged the runner out. Ron Parker Jersey. Scioscia bounded out of the dugout and charged toward Miller to argue, just like managers always have done. Instead, though, he chose to use his challenge. After two of the umpires made a quick visit to the Angels dugout to communicate with the replay umpire, the call was upheld. "We werent trying to make a mockery out of it," Scioscia said of using the challenge so soon. "We thought it was a pretty close play." There was only one angle available with the limited camera work of a spring training telecast. "If we have 15 angles of that," Scioscia said, "theres a possibility it gets reversed." That review took 2:31. Since he lost the challenge, Scioscia had no more. "I dont think its going to take much time in the logistics. That will smooth out," he said. "As far as the strategy of it, thats going to take a lot. It might be something you win, but you know you need that challenge to save the big play somewhere." Twins manager Ron Gardenhire and Arizonas Kirk Gibson did not use their challenge. Neither did Cubs manager Rick Renteria nor the Brewers Ron Roenicke. Gibson said he thought about contesting a close play when Paul Goldschmidt nearly beat out a grounder but said he decided it was 50-50 and not worth it. "I think its going to be a lot more complicated than we thought," Gibson said. "We had a lot of conversation during the game." For the Angels-Diamondbacks game, the replay trailer was set up in the parking lot behind centre field. Teams are allowed to have a person to watch the game on television and advise the managers via phone whether it would be worth it for the call to be challenged. The Angels communicated via walkie talkie Monday but there will be a dedicated phone line for each team in the major league parks. Under the new rules, each manager has one challenge. If the first challenge is successful, the manager gets a second. From the seventh inning on, if the manager is out of challenges, the umpire can decide to have the play reviewed. Some critics of expanded replay worried that challenges would delay the game too much. Culbreth said he didnt think that would be a problem, and pointed at the benefits. "It will work itself out. I think time really isnt going to be an issue in the end," he said. "And if it is, its about getting the play right in the end, anyhow." ' ' ' |
