CLEVELAND (AP) – Rookie Kyrie Irving made a driving layup in traffic with 15.8 seconds left to give the Cleveland Cavaliers a 91-88 win over the defending NBA champion Dallas Mavericks on Saturday night.
Irving, who is showing a knack for last-second drama in his first season, finished with 20 points and Anderson Varejao added 17 points and 17 rebounds for the Cavs.
After Irving’s second game-winning layup in a week, Jason Terry missed an off-balance 3-pointer with 2.2 seconds left for Dallas. After a replay review gave the Mavericks a final chance, Brandan Wright missed a desperation shot at the horn. The Mavericks didn’t score a field goal in the final 4:13.
Dirk Nowitzki scored 24 points and passed Elgin Baylor for 22nd place on the NBA’s scoring list.
(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
