Nae’Qwan Tomlin scored a career-high 26 points and rookie Tyrese Proctor collected 22 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists as the playoff-bound Cleveland Cavaliers beat the visiting Washington Wizards 130-117 on Sunday afternoon.
Jaylon Tyson had 18 points and rookie Tristan Enaruna had a season-best 15 points for Cleveland (52-30), which is the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference. The Cavaliers jumped in front 43-21 after one quarter and led from wire to wire in the victory.
Cleveland will have home-court advantage over the fifth-place Toronto Raptors in their first-round series.
Rookie guard Jamir Watkins scored a career-high 24 points for the Wizards (17-65), who finished with the worst record in the league. Bub Carrington scored 20 points and dished out nine assists, and Sharife Cooper had 20 points and six assists off the bench.
Cleveland had eight players reach double digits in points, including a career-best 12 from Riley Minix and 10 from Olivier Sarr. Both are on two-way contracts.
The Cavaliers used their 41st starting lineup, resting their entire rotation except for Max Strus and Tyson. Their core four of Donovan Mitchell, James Harden, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen took part in the fan appreciation night festivities.
With nothing tangible to play for, both teams chose to only dress nine players.
Carrington extended his consecutive game streak to 164. The University of Pittsburgh product is the first player to appear in every game in his first two seasons since Karl-Anthony Towns with the Minnesota Timberwolves from 2015-2017.
The Wizards slowly reduced their deficit throughout the third, getting as close as 95-93 on a Cooper 3-pointer with 1:26 left in the quarter. Proctor had 10 points in the fourth as the Cavaliers closed the door by outscoring Washington 31-22.
Carrington made back-to-back 3-pointers and tacked on a free throw in a personal 9-0 run to end the first half, pulling Washington within 65-55. He scored 12 points in the quarter, while Tyson led Cleveland with 14 and Tomlin had 13 at the break.
Tyson scored 11 points and Strus had eight in the first quarter, when the Cavaliers built a 25-point lead and were up 43-21. Watkins and Anthony Gill had seven points apiece for the Wizards.
Cleveland, which lost in the 2025 Eastern Conference semifinals to the Indiana Pacers, only has one injured player heading into the postseason. Center Thomas Bryant (left calf strain) is questionable, according to coach Kenny Atkinson.
The Cavaliers have won 16 straight over Washington, their second-longest streak in franchise history. Cleveland beat the Orlando Magic 17 consecutive times from 2013-17.
–Field Level Media
