Mo Williams scored a game-high 28 points and Daniel Gibson added 19, as the Cleveland Cavaliers pulled away late for a 107-102 victory over the Washington Wizards.
Anthony Parker and Ryan Hollins netted 13 and 11 points, respectively, for the Cavaliers, who have won two straight following a three-game skid. Anderson Varejao grabbed 11 rebounds to go with eight points for the victors.
Al Thornton scored 23 points and Kirk Hinrich had 21 to pace the Wizards, who have lost four of five to start the season. Andray Blatche and JaVale McGee each had a double-double, as Blatche ended with 16 points and 15 rebounds and McGee went for 11 and 10.
It was a no more than a two-possession game in the fourth until Williams and Gibson took over down the stretch. Williams broke a 95-95 tie on two free throws with 2:07 left, and after Gilbert Arenas missed a contested jumper, Gibson drained a three-pointer for a five-point lead.
An ugly possession for the Wizards resulted in a shot clock violation, and Gibson swung the ball to Williams in the right corner for another three-ball with under a minute to play that essentially sealed the win
A first quarter that saw seven lead changes ended in a Thornton bucket for a 28-27 Washington lead.
Cleveland's 10-2 run — capped by a Parker three-pointer near the midway point of the second quarter — put the visitors on top, 48-37.
The hosts trailed 59-51 at the break but used consecutive field goals by Thornton to ignite an 11-point run for a 64-62 edge with eight minutes left in the third quarter, which ended in a 76-all tie.
Arenas played 26 minutes off the bench in his second game of the season and scored 13 points on 4-of-13 shooting. He was sidelined for the first three games with a strained tendon in his right ankle…J.J. Hickson scored 10 points for Cleveland…John Wall posted 13 points and 10 assists but accounted for six of Washington's 16 turnovers…Cavs forward Antawn Jamison missed a third straight game due to a sore knee…The Wizards had won five straight in the series at the Verizon Center.
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