BOX SCORE
By Zac Jackson
FOX Sports Ohio
December 29, 2010
The Cavaliers closed 2010 by completing a one-win month. In this case, different is not good.
The fifth-straight loss and 15th in the last 16 games came Wednesday night in Charlotte, 101-92. The Cavaliers cut their game-long deficit to four down the stretch but were never really in it.
There was some new -- Manny Harris started for the injured Mo Williams, and newly-signed Alonzo Gee made an impressive debut -- but it was the same old story as the Cavaliers didn't find shooters, dug themselves a hole and didn't have enough late.
Ramon Sessions had his best game as a Cavalier with 22 points. He played 31 minutes as Williams rested a sore hip and Daniel Gibson went down with thigh contusion. Antawn Jamison had 18 points but needed 16 shots to get them. He was 0-for-5 from the 3-point line.
The Cavaliers' defensive woes continued as the home team got 38 points from Stephen Jackson and 28 from D.J. Augustin. They were the only two in double figures for the Bobcats, who move to 2-0 under interim coach and former Cavaliers head coach Paul Silas.
The Bobcats got out to a 27-10 start and the Cavs spent the night chasing.
"We can't afford to get down that many points," Cavaliers coach Byron Scott said. "Tonight that was basically our demise."
The Cavs had another miserable shooting night, connecting on just 41 percent of their field goals. The Bobcats went 9-of-19 from the 3-point line, which is very good by the Bobcats' standards and typically bad for the Cavaliers, who gave up a franchise record 19 3-pointers the previous night vs. Orlando.
The Cavaliers cut their 13-point halftime deficit to eight early in the third before the Bobcats pushed it back to 17. It was a similar situation late as the Cavaliers got it to 4 but could get no closer.
"We tried to get back, but they compounded it with another run," Sessions said.
Scott said he started Harris in place of Williams "just for energy...give the young guy a chance maybe give us a different look."
Harris had 8 points and 2 assists and got a trial by fire in guarding Jackson and Gerald Wallace on the defensive end. Gee, who just signed with the Cavs early this week, had 3 points and 9 rebounds. Anderson Varejao had 9 points, 10 rebounds and 5 blocks.
The Cavaliers' lone win in December came in a Dec. 18 overtime win over the Knicks. They're now 8-24 on the season. The Bobcats are 11-19.
