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CLEVELAND -- Kyrie Irving pushed himself so hard he nearly vomited while sitting on the bench in the fourth quarter. cheap jerseys . A flu bug couldnt stop him, and neither could the Bucks. Irving made four free throws in the final 21.5 seconds of overtime and finished with 39 points despite being sick, leading the Cleveland Cavaliers to a 114-111 win over short-handed Milwaukee on Friday night. Irving spent the previous two days at home on the couch, trying to shake off an illness that flattened him. He missed practice on Thursday and almost sat out the game before deciding to leave his house about two hours before tip-off. The All-Star guard wound up playing 43 minutes and added six assists and four blocks while carrying the Cavs to their fifth win in six home games. "Im tired," Irving said afterward. "I really just want to lay down right now." Earl Clark made a 3-pointer as the shot clock expired with 44 seconds left in OT, and Jarrett Jack added 17 points for Cleveland. Tristan Thompson had 15 rebounds for the Cavs, who were grateful Irving chose to play. "I wish he was sick more often," Jack joked. With Milwaukee down by three, O.J. Mayo missed two 3-pointers in the last 10 seconds that would have tied it. "Ill take them any time," Mayo said. "On the second one, I didnt know I had that much time left. I kind of rushed it, but I should have made it." Mayo had 20 points, John Henson 18 and Brandon Knight added 17 and a career-high 14 rebounds as the banged-up Bucks lost their fifth straight. It was the second straight tough defeat for Milwaukee, which lost in double-overtime to New York on Wednesday. Before the game, Irving said he spent the previous two days "in the same spot at home" as he tried to get well. "I just got to get through it," he said. "Im just going to give it my all and live with the results." They turned out fine as he willed himself and his team past the Bucks, who came in with the NBAs worst record and were missing several key players because of injuries. However, Milwaukee was more than game and overcame an eight-point deficit in the fourth quarter. "I was going to stay home," Irving said. "But a goal of mine this season is to play in all 82 games. Thats always on the back of my mind. I just wanted to come out here and give what I could." Hensons two free throws gave Milwaukee a 96-94 lead late in regulation, but the Cavs forced OT on Thompsons tip-in of Irvings miss with 1.8 seconds left. Milwaukee had a final chance to win it in regulation, but Khris Middletons 20-footer at the horn hit the front of the rim. Irving made two 3s early in the five-minute extra session, and when Jack knocked down a 3 with 1:46 left, it appeared the Bucks were done. But Middleton hit a 3-pointer, and after Irving made two free throws with 21.5 left, Mayo, back in the lineup after missing Wednesdays game for a family funeral, buried a 3 to pull the Bucks within 112-111. Irving then drew a foul on a drive and made both foul shots, and the Cavs held on when Mayo couldnt find the range in the closing seconds. "Hes a great player," Knight said of Irving. "Hes been doing his thing since he came into the NBA. Hes always going to make plays." The Bucks only dressed nine. Caron Butler had been expected to return, but missed his 12th straight game with a sore right knee. Its been that kind of season for Milwaukee, which was also without Larry Sanders (broken hand), Gary Neal (plantar fasciitis), Ersan Ilyasova (sprained ankle), Carlos Delfino (foot surgery) and Zaza Pachulia (fractured foot). Although undermanned, the Bucks gave the Cavs all they could handle. "Were a team thats really banged up and very depleted," Bucks coach Larry Drew said. "Im proud of our guys that theyve competed and played hard. But were not going to be satisfied until we get over that hump." The Cavs, too, were not at full strength as guard Dion Waiters sat out with a sore wrist and rookie Anthony Bennett, the No. 1 overall pick in this years draft, had the flu. NOTES: Bucks rookie Giannis Antetokounmpo made his second career start. He got his first earlier this week against New York, becoming the youngest player (19 years, 12 days) to start an NBA game since Andrew Bynum (19, 4 days) started for the Lakers in 2006. Cavs coach Mike Brown became familiar with Antetokounmpo -- he didnt dare try to pronounce his name and applauded when a Milwaukee reporter nailed it -- this summer at a camp in Las Vegas. "He looked like he was going to be a special talent then," Brown said. "You see the potential. Hes got a lot of intelligence and a great feel for the game." jerseys from china . The thunderous cheers quickly changed to an appreciative chant: "Ma-son! Ma-son! Ma-son! Headed to New York with new life, Mason sure earned this curtain call. cheap nfl jerseys . -- LaMarcus Aldridge knew when it was his time.PORTLAND, Ore. -- Wesley Johnson was hard-pressed to think of a more memorable shot hes had than his game-winner against Portland. Kent Bazemore lobbed to Johnson for the go-ahead basket with 6.9 seconds left and the Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Trail Blazers 107-106 on Monday night. Theyd been practicing that very play. "Its one of them. Its gotta be up there," Johnson said about where the shot ranked. "To pull out the win like we did and fight the whole game, it was a good one." Pau Gasol scored 22 points and the Lakers won their second straight, snapping the Blazers five-game winning streak. Jodie Meeks added 21 points. The Lakers, who led by as many as 15 points in the first quarter, pushed the lead to 97-86 in the fourth on MarShon Brooks short jumper. But Nicolas Batums 3-pointer narrowed the gap to 103-101 for the Blazers with 3:37 left before Wesley Matthews fadeaway jumper tied it at 105 with 1:10 left. Damian Lillard hit one of two free throws to give Portland its first lead since the first quarter. But the officials reversed a possession call with 7.1 seconds left, giving the ball to the Lakers. Bazemore pitched to Johnson for the deciding layup and Lillard missed a 3-pointer as time ran out. "These guys are straight up athletes in this league and you can just throw it anywhere around the dash," Bazemore said. "He (Johnson) caught it and could have actually dunked it but went with a safe one." Robin Lopez had 19 points and 16 rebounds, while Batum had 17 points and 15 rebounds for the Blazers. Los Angeles was coming off a 126-122 victory at home Friday over Sacramento, which snapped a three-game losing streak. But the Lakers still sit at the bottom of the Western Conference with the Kings. "They were making shots. They were making jumpers. I think we were deflated all the way around," Blazers guard Wesley Matthews said. "Their energy was higher than ours." The Blazers won the first meeting against the Lakers, 114-108 on Dec. 1. Xavier Henry, who had 27 points against the Blazers in December, returned to the Lakers lineup Monday after missing 28 games with a right knee injury, but he was played only sparingly. Coach Mike DAntoni said hed limit Heenrys minutes to start. wholesale jerseys. Steve Nash ran through drills on the court before the game but sat out of his eighth straight game after a brief return from a nerve root irritation, which causes him back pain. Earlier in the day at shootaround, DAntoni told reporters he was doubtful Nash would return this season. After the game DAntoni said: "Hes not quite there physically. He tried it and couldnt finish a game so theres really no point in pushing the injury further. Hes just trying to get well and then well see." Nash, who made the trip to Portland, was noncommittal: "Well see how I feel next week and if I get a chance to practice." Nash, 40, has played in 10 games for the Lakers this season, averaging 7.6 points and 4.7 assists. Kobe Bryant was also in Portland, but he has not been medically cleared to play after breaking his left knee in December. The Lakers jumped out to a 31-16 lead in the first quarter, capping a 14-2 run with Meeks dunk. Portland struggled with eight turnovers. Portland closed the gap in the second quarter, pulling to within 45-38 on Batums dish to Lopez for the dunk and a free throw. But Bazemores last-break dunk extended the Lakers lead to 56-47 with 3:27 left in the half. The Lakers led 63-56 at the half. Los Angeles wouldnt let the Blazers get closer than four points and Gasols dunk extended the lead to 82-73 with 2:36 left. Dorell Wright hit two consecutive 3-pointers for Portland to close within 82-79, but Bazemore answered with a 3 for the Lakers. Blazers coach Terry Stotts said he didnt believe his team overlooked the Lakers. "I think its a credit to the Lakers. They sustained their style of play from the very beginning," Stotts said. "They got out in transition, they were aggressive in passing lanes, they forced eight turnovers in the first quarter. They got us on our heels right away. We got back, but I thought what the Lakers did more than anything was they came out and sustained it for the entire game." Notes: Robin Lopez had 13 points in the first half, a new career high. ... The Blazers announced a contest for fans to design a new floor for the Moda Center for the 2014-15 season. ... Portland was coming off a 102-96 victory at home over Denver on Saturday. wholesale jerseys cheap jerseys ' ' ' |
