Wizards walk away winners

Travel call against James puts a stop to Cavaliers

LeBron James wants the NBA to take a closer look at what he calls his "crab dribble." The move, James insists, does not constitute traveling.

Yesterday, with 2.3 seconds to play, a referee disagreed.

James was whistled for taking an extra step while driving for a potential tying layup as his Cleveland Cavaliers lost, 80-77, to the host Washington Wizards, the Eastern Conference's worst team, despite wiping out a 16-point deficit in the fourth quarter.

"Bad call," said James, who had 30 points, 10 assists, and 6 rebounds. "We all make mistakes, and I think I got the wrong end of the bargain. I watched it 10 times after the game and it was clearly a good play."

Without raising his voice or getting particularly animated, James dissected the game's key sequence in extensive detail - even pointing out that he felt he was fouled as he released the shot, which went in.

His biggest beef, though, was with what he considered a misunderstanding of the way he moved to the basket.

"You have your trademark play, and that's one of my plays. It kind of looks like a travel because it's slow, and it's kind of a high step, but it's a one-two just as fluent as any other one-two in this league. I got the wrong end of it, but I think they need to look at it - and they need to understand that's not a travel," James said. "It's a perfectly legal play, something I've always done."

Washington's Caron Butler - who scored 19 points and guarded James most of the game, including on that closing play - remembered that same move, without an official's call, from a recent playoff meeting.

"I definitely knew he traveled, but I didn't know they were going to call it," Butler said. "That was one of them situations in which a great player made a move, good officiating, and they called the call. And I was like, 'Oh, man, there is a God.' "

Antawn Jamison (26 points, 13 rebounds) sank a baseline jumper with 10.5 seconds left to put Washington ahead, 79-77. Cleveland's next possession ended with James's turnover.

The Cavaliers were down, 70-54, early in the fourth quarter. Then, with 6 1/2 minutes left, James was called for an offensive foul as he tumbled to the court on a drive. That prompted coach Mike Brown to charge from his sideline down to the opposite end of the court, pointing and yelling, and resulting in his getting thrown out.

Pistons 88, Clippers 87 - Al Thornton was called for goaltending after swatting away Allen Iverson's driving scoop shot with 4.9 seconds on the clock, providing visiting Detroit with the deciding points in a victory over Los Angeles.

"You know you're having a bad-shooting game when you get the game-winner - and that don't even go in," Iverson said after going 7 for 22 from the field.

Rodney Stuckey scored 24 points and Tayshaun Prince added 20, helping extend Detroit's winning streak to seven games overall and 12 against the Clippers.

Rookie guard Eric Gordon scored a career-high 31 points for the Clippers, but missed a 15-footer over Prince as time expired.

Although the Clippers lost their seventh straight, Marcus Camby had 14 points and 20 rebounds, extending his double-digit rebound streak to 20 games.

Lakers 100, Trail Blazers 86 - Kobe Bryant scored 26 points and Pau Gasol added 19 as Los Angeles beat Portland for its sixth consecutive victory and 15th straight at home.

LaMarcus Aldridge led Portland with 22 points and 11 rebounds as all five starters scored in double figures, although the Blazers shot only 39 percent overall.

Raptors 108, Magic 102 - Anthony Parker scored a season-high 26 points and Chris Bosh added 23 points and 10 rebounds as host Toronto overcame Dwight Howard's career-high 39 points to beat Orlando.

Grizzlies 102, Mavericks 82 - O.J. Mayo scored 18 of his 21 points in the second half as host Memphis snapped a 13-game losing streak to Dallas.