Written by Andrew Clayman

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It was the Cavaliers’ home finale, and a dude named D.J. Kennedy led the team in scoring-- a fitting farewell, perhaps, to an exceedingly forgettable 2011-2012 season. On a brighter note, the 96-85 loss to the Wizards now puts Cleveland in a three-way tie for the third worst record in the NBA with one game to go. If you think Cavs fans love wearing those Varejao wigs, just imagine the excitement on Anthony Davis Unibrow Giveaway Night at the Q.

But of course, we’re getting a bit ahead of ourselves. Obsessing over the NBA Draft isn’t proper decorum until the constant, pointless blabbering about the NFL Draft mercifully ends. So, on to the wrap-up of a basketball game devoid of intrigue.

Despite battling the flu earlier in the day, soon-to-be Rookie of the Year Kyrie Irving started the game and helped push the Cavs (21-44) out to a 27-21 lead early. Kyrie was matched up against a guy who could be one of his main adversaries for years to come, John Wall. But unlike the last battle between these #1 overall picks, there’d be no real one-upsmanship on display. Irving (5 pts, 1 asst) took a seat 10 minutes into the game and never checked back in. Starters Antawn Jamison (10 pts, 4 rbs), Tristan Thompson (7 pts, 4 rbs), and Anthony Parker (4 pts) also played less than 20 minutes on the night, giving the hardcore Cleveland faithful the rare treat of big minutes from the likes of Luke Walton, Donald Sloan, Omri Casspi, and… D.J. Kennedy? Wait, who the hell is D.J. Kennedy? 

Well, you must not be much of an Erie Bayhawks fan. Kennedy, a standout guard at St. Johns, is fresh off a solid season for the D-League team, and he was signed a few days ago to replace the Cavs’ previous D-League diamond in the rough, Lester Hudson (who broke Cleveland’s heart by choosing to sit at the end of the Grizzlies’ bench rather than build upon his legend as a Cav). Anyway, Kennedy took advantage of the ample playing time in his NBA debut, turning 31 minutes into a team-high 12 points on 5-of-6 shooting, to go along with 6 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals. Maybe we’re picking this Rookie of the Year award a little prematurely.

Kennedy’s performance at least helped mask the stink of Alonzo Gee and Luke Harangody’s combined 1-of-15 shooting night. But overall, the game was really just a showcase for John Wall, and a chance for the Wizards (19-46) to manufacture some faux sense of accomplishment at the end of their crap season, as they’ve actually managed to win five straight games for the first time since 2007. Breezing by Sloan and Kennedy like they were mildly annoying orange cones, Wall put up 21 points and 13 assists. No other Washington player particularly deserves a mention….

…Except maybe David Wingate, who added 12 points off the Bullets’ bench. Still, Coach Wes Unseld and his rag tag crew had no real answer for Lenny Wilkens’ playoff-bound Cavs squad on this April evening. Even with Craig Ehlo nursing an injury, backup shooting guard Steve Kerr stepped in and shot a torrid 9-of-14 from the field for 19 points, and youngster Terrell Brandon added 11 more off the bench. Their efforts, combined with the usual sterling performances of Mark Price (18 pts, 5 assts), Larry Nance (9 pts, 7 rbs), and especially Brad Daugherty (20 pts, 14 rbs) helped Cleveland blast Washington by a final count of 114-91. The win puts the Cavs at 54-24, second only to Michael Jordan’s Bulls in the Eastern Conference. Is 1992 finally going to be the year the Cavs bring a championship to the Coliseum? They sure looked ready for the big-time tonight. Man, April basketball in Cleveland. It’s faaaaantastic!