CHARLOTTE BOBCATS (21-61) 105, CLEVELAND CAVALIERS (24-58) 98
Time Warner Cable Arena
Wednesday
Radio/TV: WTAM (1100 AM)/Fox Sports Ohio

WHAT HAPPENED: This is likely Coach Byron Scott's final game with the Cavs.

Various media outlets are reporting that he could be fired at a press conference on Thursday morning. I have heard whispers, but I have not confirmed that, as of yet.

It didn't help Scott's cause that his team lost to the lowly Bobcats. The Cavs had a six-game winning streak snapped to the Bobcats.

The Cavs lost the last six games of the season, as well as 16 of the last 18.

This dreadful season is over. The players will clean out their lockers at 11:45 a.m. Thursday at Cleveland Clinic Courts. Then the players disperse to parts unknown.

Many of them won't be back. Good riddance to that. They need to upgrade this roster in a big way.

If by some chance Scott remains, some changes will need to be made on the coaching staff.

The Cavs fell behind the Bobcats by 24 points on Wednesday. It was uphill from there. They came back and took a one-point lead in the fourth after a layup by Dion Waiters. But they couldn't enough stops.

The Bobcats shot 50.7 perccent from the field and 40 percent from the 3-point line. Guard Kemba Walker scored 24 points on the night.

Cavs point guard Kyrie Irving also recorded 24 points and dished out a game-high 10 assists. Waiters added 16 off the bench - a role that could be his forte when it's all said and done.

The best thing that came out of the night was the fact the Lakers made the playoffs in the Western Conference. Heading into the draft lottery, the Cavs will have the third pick, as well as the Lakers' selection (as low as No. 20) and two very high second-round picks.

LAST GAME: The Cavs lost to Miami on Monday, 96-95.

UP NEXT: The NBA draft lottery on May 21. 

STARTERS

SF Alonzo Gee (6-6, 219) vs. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (6-7, 232)
PF Tristan Thompson (6-9, 227) vs. Josh McRoberts (6-10, 240)

C Tyler Zeller (7-0, 250) vs. Bismack Biyombo (6-9, 245)
SG Wayne Ellington (6-4, 200) vs. Gerald Henderson (6-5, 215)
PG Kyrie Irving (6-3, 191) vs. Kemba Walker (6-1, 184)
INACTIVE LIST
Cavs - C Anderson Varejao, F Luke Walton
Bobcats - C DeSagana Diop, C Brendan Haywood, G Ramon Sessions
OFFICIALS
Dick Bavetta, Kane Fitzgerald, Haywoode Workman

MIAMI HEAT (65-16) 96, CLEVELAND CAVALIERS (24-57) 95
Quicken Loans Arena
Monday
Radio/TV: WTAM (1100 AM)/Fox Sports Ohio

WHAT HAPPENED: Let's forget that the Heat were playing without their top six players. No LeBron James, Dwyane Wade or Chris Bosh.

One would think the Cavs could have rolled over this bunch. But that was anything but the case. The Heat opened up an 11-point point lead on the Cavs. But those scrappy Cavs came back and had a chance to win the game.

The ball was in Kyrie Irving's hands. He was lined up opposite Heat guard Norris Cole.

Cole has always been a great defender. He was a former Defensive Player of the Year in the Horizon League. He stripped Irving of the ball - even though he was given a blocked shot on the official stat sheet.

So, the Cavs dropped their fifth game in a row to the defensive NBA champion Heat.

That team is going to win another title this year.

This could be the last time fans at The Q see Scott coaching the team. He's on the hot seat and might not be asked to come back next year.

If that's the case, I'll miss him. He's one of the nicest guys I've met.

LAST GAME: The Cavs lost at Philadelphia on Sunday, 91-77.

UP NEXT: The Cavs travel to Charlotte at 7 p.m. Wednesday at Time Warner Cable Arena. 

STARTERS

SF Alonzo Gee (6-6, 219) vs. Rashard Lewis (6-10, 235)
PF Tristan Thompson (6-9, 227) vs. Juwan Howard (6-9, 250)

C Tyler Zeller (7-0, 250) vs. Joel Anthony (6-9, 245)
SG Wayne Ellington (6-4, 200) vs. Mike Miller (6-8, 210)
PG Kyrie Irving (6-3, 191) vs. Norris Cole (6-2, 175)
INACTIVE LIST
Cavs - C Anderson Varejao, F Luke Walton
Heat - F Shane Battier, F Udonis Haslem
OFFICIALS
Tom Washington, JT Orr, Zach Zarba

PHILADELPHIA 76ERS (33-47) 91, CLEVELAND CAVALIERS (24-56) 77
Wells Fargo Center
Sunday
Radio/TV: WTAM (1100 AM)/Fox Sports Ohio

WHAT HAPPENED: There are two games remaining in the Cavs' season, and possibly in Coach Byron Scott's career in Cleveland. The Cavs host Miami on Monday in the final home game, and travel to Charlotte on Wednesday in the season finale.

The players might clean out their lockers on Thursday and go on their merry way.

I think it has become quite apparent what will happen when the season ends. One can make excuses for Scott, but if the players have quit, that probably seals his fate. Imagine what will happen if they play with so little emotion against the Heat.

The Cavs just didn't show up in Philadelphia on Sunday. Their bodies were there. Their minds were not. We know there are only two games remaining, but the players can at least pretend like they care. This going through the motion stuff is for the birds.

The Sixers jumped out to a 19-3 lead and never looked back.

The Cavs managed just 77 points - their second-lowest total of the season. If it wasn't for their 26-point fourth quarter, they would have set a season low in scoring. They also shot just 36.5 percent from the field.

In my opinion, the Cavs had three players that competed on the night. Power forward Tristan Thompson recorded his 30th double-double with 12 points, 12 rebounds and three blocks. Power forward Kevin Jones recorded his first NBA double-double with 11 points, 10 rebounds and one block.

I thought Omri Casspi came in the game and played hard with nine points and five rebounds.

The rest of the bunch? Forget it. They were pitiful.

That starts with All-Star Kyrie Irving. He intentionally fouled a Sixers player to stop a fastbreak for his fifth personal foul with 10:31 left in the third quarter. We didn't see him again, which was deserved. He ended with four points on 1 of 6 from the field.

Scott didn't play any of his starters in the fourth quarter. He said in post-game he'd rather get some players in there who wanted to play hard.

The Sixers are the lowest-scoring team in the league at 92.9 points per game. They managed only 91 on Sunday, yet won the game in blowout fashion.

The Sixers won the season series, 3-1, vs. the Cavs. They've also won eight of the last nine meetings with Cleveland. The Cavs only win in that span was last Nov. 12.

Cavs center Tyler Zeller has recorded goose eggs in each of his last two games. He was 0 of 6 from the field on Sunday with two rebounds. He's melting down before our eyes.

The Cavs played without power forward Luke Walton (sprained ankle), swingman C.J. Miles (concussion) and point guard Shaun Livingston (back spasms).

LAST GAME: The Cavs lost to New York on Friday, 101-91.

UP NEXT: The Cavs host Miami at 7 p.m. Monday at Quicken Loans Arena. 

STARTERS

SF Alonzo Gee (6-6, 219) vs. Evan Turner (6-7, 220)
PF Tristan Thompson (6-9, 227) vs. Thaddeus Young (6-8, 235)

C Tyler Zeller (7-0, 250) vs. Spencer Hawes (7-1, 245)
SG Wayne Ellington (6-4, 200) vs. Damien Wilkins (6-6, 225)
PG Kyrie Irving (6-3, 191) vs. Jrue Holiday (6-4, 205)
INACTIVE LIST
Cavs - C Anderson Varejao, G/F C.J. Miles 
76ers - C Andrew Bynum, G/F Jason Richardson
OFFICIALS
Mike Callahan, Courtney Kirkland, Tre Maddox

NEW YORK KNICKS (52-27) 101, CLEVELAND CAVALIERS (24-55) 91
Quicken Loans Arena
Friday
Radio/TV: WTAM (1100 AM)/Fox Sports Ohio

WHAT HAPPENED: Shouldn't the Cavs' game plan have been top heavy in attacking the Knicks' depleted frontcourt? I'm sure the Cavs coaches watched New York's overtime loss to Chicago on Thursday. In that game, the Knicks were missing Tyson Chandler, Amar'e Stoudemire, Marcus Camby, Kenyon Martin, Rasheed Wallace and the since-waived Kurt Thomas.

Shouldn't the Cavs have attacked the basket with a vengeance? Shouldn't rookie center Tyler Zeller gotten more attempts around the basket? He took three shots on the night, two from the perimeter, and the other a wide-open layup.

He is 7-foot, isn't he? Sometimes I have to check the roster to make sure. He sure doesn't play like one. He finished with zero points and four rebounds. Just brutal.

His sidekick, power forward Tristan Thompson, did some damage inside. He recorded his 29th double-double with 15 points and 11 rebounds. At least he has a presence in the post, unlike Zeller.

I'm not trying to pick on Zeller. I actually like talking to him. He just leaves a lot to be desired in my book.

Oh, and 6-10 Marreese Speights? He had zero points and three rebounds. So, the Cavs' two biggest players combined for zero points and seven rebounds on a night when the Knicks had almost none of their bigs. That's an embarrassment in my book.


Heck, Knicks guard Iman Shumpert totally outplayed both of them together with five points, 11 rebounds and a block. 

LAST GAME: The Cavs lost to Detroit on Wednesday, 111-104.

UP NEXT: The Cavs travel to Philadelphia at 3:30 p.m. Sunday at Wachovia Center. 

STARTERS

SF Alonzo Gee (6-6, 219) vs. Carmelo Anthony (6-8, 235)
PF Tristan Thompson (6-9, 227) vs. Iman Shumpert (6-5, 220)

C Tyler Zeller (7-0, 250) vs. Chris Copeland (6-8, 225)
SG Wayne Ellington (6-4, 200) vs. Raymond Felton (6-1, 205)
PG Kyrie Irving (6-3, 191) vs. Pablo Prigioni (6-3, 185)
INACTIVE LIST 
Cavs - C Anderson Varejao, G/F C.J. Miles 
Knicks - F Amar'e Stoudemire, F/C Marcus Camby, F/C Rasheed Wallace 
OFFICIALS
Bill Kennedy, Brent Barnaky, Brian Forte

DETROIT PISTONS (27-52) 111, CLEVELAND CAVALIERS (24-54) 104
Quicken Loans Arena
Wednesday
Radio/TV: WMMS (100.7 FM)/Fox Sports Ohio

WHAT HAPPENED: Too bad the Cavs didn't get rained out.

Coach Byron Scott used some coaching strategy on Wednesday, using the Hack-a-Drummond. Unfortunately, it didn't work. Drummond, a 34-percent foul shooter, made 8 of 14 free throws in the fourth quarter to foil their plan.

Of course, the play that everyone will remember from tonight was Tristan Thompson's critical error with 17.9 seconds when he fouled Drummond off the ball. Rules state that if a team fouls a player off the ball with under 2 minutes left, the opposing team gets two free throws and the ball out of bounds.

That led to a free throw by Rodney Stuckey. Then, after they took it out of bounds, Jonas Jerebko hit another freebie. That left the score, 107-103, and for all intents and purposes, it was all over.

Thompson didn't admit that he didn't know the rules (to be honest, I didn't). He said he wanted to foul Drummond after he got the rebound, but he was too late.

Thompson might have cost them the game. I'll give them a mulligan on that one. This kid cares about winning. He stood up to the media afterward. Some guys would have hid in the trainer's room. 

LAST GAME: The Cavs lost at Indiana on Tuesday, 99-94.

UP NEXT: The Cavs host New York at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Quicken Loans Arena.

STARTERS

SF Alonzo Gee (6-6, 219) vs. Kyle Singler (6-8, 230)
PF Tristan Thompson (6-9, 227) vs. Greg Monroe (6-11, 250)

C Tyler Zeller (7-0, 250) vs. Andre Drummond (6-11, 285)
SG Wayne Ellington (6-4, 200) vs. Rodney Stuckey (6-5, 205)
PG Kyrie Irving (6-3, 191) vs. Brandon Knight (6-3, 189)
INACTIVE LIST 
Cavs - C Anderson Varejao, G/F C.J. Miles 
Pistons - F Jason Maxiell
OFFICIALS
Bennett Salvatore, Dick Bavetta, Nick Buchert

INDIANA PACERS (49-29) 99, CLEVELAND CAVALIERS (24-53) 94
Bankers Life Fieldhouse
Tuesday
Radio/TV: WMMS (100.7 FM)/Fox Sports Ohio

WHAT HAPPENED: Horrible. Just horrible. Certainly, it couldn't have happened again? But it did. The Cavs blew a 20-point lead, 88-68, with 9:04 to play against Indiana on Tuesday.

Let's make a list.

The following are the biggest leads blown by the Cavs this season:
27 points: 98-95 Miami on March 20
26 points: 107-105 Phoenix on Nov. 9
22 points: 102-97 New York on March 4
20 points: 99-94 Indiana on April 9

These are the things that get coaches fired. I'm not saying Byron Scott is going to get fired or needs to be fired. These are the things management brings up at the end of the year when they do their evaluations.

The Pacers outscored the Cavs in the fourth quarter, 35-10. Oh my.

In that pivotal quarter, the Cavs shot 20 percent from the field (4 of 20). Only Kyrie Irving and Omri Casspi made field goals in that quarter. Irving led all scorers with 29 points and seven assists.

However, he committed eight of the Cavs' 17 turnovers.  That's ridiculous in a closely contested game like this. 

The Cavs snapped a two-game winning streak. They should be riding a three-game winning streak heading into their game vs. Detroit on Wednesday.

They had just four players in double figures. Center Tyler Zeller, who returned to his home state of Indiana, was very good with 18 points, three rebounds and two blocks. He fouled out, as did valuable guard Shaun Livingston.

Zeller outplayed Pacers center Roy Hibbert, who had just eight points, five rebounds and three blocks. Hibbert has really beat up on the Cavs this year, too. His length causes problems.

The Cavs really defended well, as they held the Pacers to 40.5 percent shooting from the field and 25 percent from the 3-point line.

The Pacers have the third seed in the Eastern Conference playoff race. They'll face Atlanta in the first round. The Pacers are a better team, but that won't be an easy series. The Hawks aren't going away easily.

The Cavs have played very hard in the last three games. Whether it's enough to save Scott's job is not known.

That facet of their game has been missing for much of the season. They should mimic the Pacers as much as possible. They play the right way, which is a feather in the cap of Coach Frank Vogel. Of course, he wasn't around for the whole game. He got tossed with 2:05 left in the third.

Lead assistant Brian Shaw closed out the win for Indiana, which has now won six in a row over the Cavs, as well as six consecutive games at the Fieldhouse.

The Pacers are going to run away with the Central Division title. They have a 5 1/2-game lead on Chicago.

Irving is expected to play on Wednesday vs. Detroit.

Swingman C.J. Miles (concussion) and power forward Luke Walton (sprained ankle) didn't make the trip to Indiana. Neither is expected to play on Wednesday, either.

The status of guard Dion Waiters (sore left knee) remains unclear. He looks like he's ready to play any time now. The Cavs are being very vague about his injury. He did go on the trip and was active for the Pacers game. 

LAST GAME: The Cavs defeated Orlando on Sunday, 91-85.

UP NEXT: The Cavs host Detroit at 7 p.m. Wednesday at Quicken Loans Arena.

STARTERS

SF Alonzo Gee (6-6, 219) vs. Paul George (6-9, 215)
PF Tristan Thompson (6-9, 227) vs. David West (6-9, 250)

C Tyler Zeller (7-0, 250) vs. Roy Hibbert (7-2, 280)
SG Wayne Ellington (6-4, 200) vs. Lance Stephenson (6-5, 228)
PG Kyrie Irving (6-3, 191) vs. George Hill (6-0, 180)
INACTIVE LIST 
Cavs - C Anderson Varejao, G/F C.J. Miles 
Pacers - F Danny Granger, F Miles Plumlee 
OFFICIALS
Ron Garretson, Derrick Collins, James Williams

CLEVELAND CAVALIERS (24-52) 91, ORLANDO MAGIC (19-59) 85
Quicken Loans Arena
Sunday
Radio/TV: WMMS (100.7 FM)/Fox Sports Ohio

WHAT HAPPENED: Even though the Cavs have won two in a row, it's still a little premature to say they've turned the corner.

The Cavs need to keep playing hard in order for Coach Byron Scott to hang onto his job. They might not have played real well on Sunday, but they played hard. Games where the team sleep-walks is a black mark on Scott's resume.

The Cavs shot just 36 percent from the field - their lowest field-goal percentage in a win all year. They actually shot .35955 from the field. They hadn't shot under 36 percent in a win since April 6, 2012, vs. Toronto.

The Magic is the second-worst team in the NBA. They have now lost five in a row overall, 11 in a row on the road. They are 7-46 in their last 53 games. The point is: Don't get too giddy about the win.

The important thing is the Cavs once again played with some spunk.

The finished 3-1 vs. the Magic this season. 

Cavs power forward Tristan Thompson continued his torrid play. He destroyed the Celtics on Friday with 29 points and 17 rebounds, both career highs. He followed that up with 15 points, 16 rebounds and three blocks on Sunday.

He's playing like a future All-Star. That's really saying something after where he came from. He looked totally lost last year. I commend GM Chris Grant for that selection.

Speaking of budding stars, Magic forward Tobias Harris belongs on that list. He had 26 points and 12 rebounds on Sunday. He was acquired from Milwaukee on Feb. 21 in the J.J. Redick deal. Since coming to Orlando, he's reached double figures in scoring 20 times. He's reached 20 or more points six times, including a career-high 30 points vs. Washington on March 29.

LAST GAME: The Cavs defeated Boston on Friday, 97-91.

UP NEXT: The Cavs travel to Indiana at 7 p.m. Tuesday at Bankers Life Arena.

STARTERS

SF Alonzo Gee (6-6, 219) vs. Tobias Harris (6-8, 226)
PF Tristan Thompson (6-9, 227) vs. Andrew Nicholson (6-9, 250)

C Tyler Zeller (7-0, 250) vs. Nikola Vucevic (7-0, 240)
SG Wayne Ellington (6-4, 200) vs. Maurice Harkless (6-8, 210)
PG Kyrie Irving (6-3, 191) vs. Beno Udrih (6-2, 203)
INACTIVE LIST 
Cavs - C Anderson Varejao, G Dion Waiters
Magic - F Glen Davis
OFFICIALS
Joe Crawford, Sean Corbin, Leroy Richardson

CLEVELAND CAVALIERS (23-52) 97, BOSTON CELTICS (39-37) 91
TD Garden
Friday
Radio/TV: WMMS (100.7 FM)/Fox Sports Ohio

WHAT HAPPENED: The Cavs snapped their dreadful 10-game losing streak.

This was the Tristan Thompson show for the Cavs. After the air-it-out session in practice on Thursday, Thompson said it's time for the Cavs to play like men.

Thompson played like a man possessed on Friday. He established career highs in points (29) and rebounds (17) against the banged-up Celtics. He added seven offensive rebounds, one assist and one block. He was 10 of 17 from the field.

The Cavs didn't pussy-foot around. They came out and played aggressively. They knocked guys down while setting picks. They competed. They also scratched, poked, pushed and clawed. That's the way they have to play.

The Cavs had just four players reach double figures. Forward Alonzo Gee was outstanding on Friday with 16 points, 10 rebounds and one block.

Guard Kyrie Irving returned to playing his regular minutes with 37. He finished with 11 points, dished out a game-high eight assists and added five rebounds, two steals and two blocks. The downside? He couldn't make a shot. He was 4 of 20 from the field, perhaps his worst shooting night of the season.

But like his teammates, he battled.

There were stretches of the game where Tyler Zeller looked like the worst center in the league. But in the end, he had nine points and six rebounds. He fought in the post, and took a couple charges.

Zeller averaged 12.2 points, 7.2 rebounds and 1.2 blocks in four games vs. Boston this season.

Even forward Kevin Jones, who can't seem to make a shot if his life depended on it, had eight rebounds.

The Cavs destroyed the Celtics on the boards, 58-42. That's the most rebounds they've had all year in a game. Their 43 defensive rebounds were also a season high. One of the reasons for all the rebounds were the inordinate amount of missed shots in the game. Both the Cavs and the Celtics attempted 89 shots on the night.

The Cavs defended as well as they have all season. They held the Celtics to 40.4 percent shooting from the field and 27.3 percent from behind the arc.

Now, we can't ignore the fact the Celtics were playing without their top three players in Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Rajon Rondo. But I don't care in the least. No one cares when the Cavs are playing short-handed.

The teams were tied 2-2 in the season series.

Celtics forward Jeff Green is on a tear and has averaged 20.9 points in his last six games. Included in that stretch were back-to-back 27-point games. He had 23 points and nine rebounds on Friday.

He is slowly replacing the aging Pierce as the Celtics' go-to guy. He's long, strong and very talented. On the winning drive against the Cavs last week, he received the ball at the top of the key. Two strides later, he was at the rim.

LAST GAME: The Cavs lost to Brooklyn on Wednesday, 113-95.

UP NEXT: The Cavs host Orlando at 6 p.m. Sunday at Quicken Loans Arena.

STARTERS
SF Alonzo Gee (6-6, 219) vs. Jeff Green (6-9, 235)
PF Tristan Thompson (6-9, 227) vs. Brandon Bass (6-8, 250)
C Tyler Zeller (7-0, 250) vs. Chris Wilcox (6-10, 235)
SG Wayne Ellington (6-4, 200) vs. Courtney Lee (6-6, 210)
PG Kyrie Irving (6-3, 191) vs. Avery Bradley (6-2, 180)
INACTIVE LIST 
Cavs - C Anderson Varejao, G Dion Waiters
Celtics - G Rajon Rondo, F/C Jared Sullinger, C Fab Melo
OFFICIALS
Michael Smith, Karl Lane, Mark Lindsay

BROOKLYN NETS (43-31) 113, CLEVELAND CAVALIERS (22-52) 95
Quicken Loans Arena
Wednesday
Radio/TV: WMMS (100.7 FM)/Fox Sports Ohio

WHAT HAPPENED: The Cavs dropped 30 games under .500. There was no effort. No intensity. No fight. Not much strategy.

There might not be another win on the schedule. Their best chance could be Sunday vs. Orlando. However, if they play with as much spunk as they did last night, the Magic could blow them off the court.

The Cavs have lost 10 in a row, as well as 14 of the last 16. Can things get any worse?

Questions are swirling about Coach Byron Scott's job. He might need to get a vote of confidence from Cavs majority owner Dan Gilbert. There's going to be more pressure on him if the Cavs lose out.

They are now 0-3 vs. Brooklyn this season.

Scott talked at length about the Cavs' new zone defense before the game. Sorry, but I don't think they played any defense on the night. The Nets shot 73 percent from the field in the first half, 57 percent for the game.

Scott said the Cavs were doing things out of their zone defense that they had never done before.

The Nets are 21-17 on the road this season. They set a franchise record for road wins.

Brooklyn is 27-4 against teams below .500. 

LAST GAME: The Cavs lost at Atlanta on Monday, 102-94.

UP NEXT: The Cavs travel to Boston at 7:30 p.m. Friday at TD Garden.

STARTERS
SF Alonzo Gee (6-6, 219) vs. Keith Bogans (6-5, 215)
PF Tristan Thompson (6-9, 227) vs. Reggie Evans (6-8, 240)
C Tyler Zeller (7-0, 250) vs. Brook Lopez (7-0, 265)
SG Wayne Ellington (6-4, 200) vs. MarShon Brooks (6-5, 200)
PG Kyrie Irving (6-3, 191) vs. Deron Williams (6-3, 209)
INACTIVE LIST 
Cavs - C Anderson Varejao, G Dion Waiters
Nets - F Gerald Wallace, G Joe Johnson 
OFFICIALS
James Capers, Eric Dalen, Jason Phillips

ATLANTA HAWKS (42-33) 102, CLEVELAND CAVALIERS (22-51) 94
Philips Arena
Monday
Radio/TV: WTAM (1100 AM), WFUN (970 AM)/Fox Sports Ohio

WHAT HAPPENED: Point guard Kyrie Irving was held out of Monday's game. That's part of his recovery process. He'll sit out the second night of a back-to-back. The Cavs have two more back-to-backs - on April 9-10 and April 14-15.

He returned to the lineup on Sunday and scored a game-high 31 points in the 20-point loss at New Orleans. Shaun Livingston moved back into the starting lineup against the Hawks and played 36 minutes. He had 14 points, five rebounds, six assists and two steals. He made 6 of 10 from the field.

The Cavs got a huge lift from center Marreese Speights, who matched his season high with 23 points, eight rebounds and one block. He was 11 of 15 from the field.

Swingman C.J. Miles didn't play in Monday's game because of a sore right ankle. Adding to the Cavs' woes,  guard Daniel Gibson was ejected after being assessed two technical fouls with 7:07 left in the second quarter. Luke Walton also got a technical foul with 13 seconds left in the third.

He was lucky he didn't get a second technical after pushing forward Ivan Johnson to the floor in the fourth. I kind of liked that one, as Johnson comes off as this tough guy (he certainly looks like a hard ass with the beard, tattoos and muscles). Walton stood up to him, and certainly earned some manly points in my book.

The Cavs' outrebounded the Hawks, 44-37. However, Hawks forward Josh Smith was a beast on the boards with 18 points, a game-high 14 rebounds, eight assists and a block. In case you haven't noticed, he's pretty darn good. Is he a max player? I'd have to say no.

The Hawks are hanging onto the fifth seed in the Eastern Conference playoff race. That's another reason why Coach Larry Drew is expected to be re-signed in the offseason. His contract expires after this season.

The Cavs have lost nine in a row, as well as 13 of the last 15. They are 9-28 on the road this year.

NEWS FEED: Chris Vivlamore's story on Zaza Pachulia's upcoming surgery in the Atlanta Journal Constitution.

LAST GAME: The Cavs lost at New Orleans on Sunday, 112-92.

UP NEXT: The Cavs host Brooklyn at 7 p.m. Wednesday at Quicken Loans Arena.

STARTERS
SF Alonzo Gee (6-6, 219) vs. Kyle Korver (6-7, 225)
PF Tristan Thompson (6-9, 227) vs. Josh Smith (6-8, 235)
C Tyler Zeller (7-0, 250) vs. Al Horford (6-11, 245)
SG Wayne Ellington (6-4, 200) vs. Devin Harris (6-3, 205)
PG Shaun Livingston (6-7, 175) vs. Jeff Teague (6-2, 181)
INACTIVE LIST 
Cavs - C Anderson Varejao, G Dion Waiters
Hawks - C Zaza Pachulia, G Lou Williams
OFFICIALS
Ken Mauer, Brent Barnaky, John Goble