Cavs, Hawks meet in Cleveland

Cleveland is a half game behind the Chicago Bulls for the second seed in the Eastern Conference playoff standings.

The Cavaliers conclude a short two-game homestand. LeBron James scored a game- high 35 points and grabbed eight rebounds as Cleveland clinched home-court advantage for the first round of the playoffs with a 94-76 win over the New Jersey Nets at Quicken Loans Arena.

Larry Hughes added 19 points and six assists in the win over New Jersey for the Cavaliers, who have won two of their last three games overall.

Cleveland is 19-21 at home this season. The Cavaliers will visit the Philadelphia 76ers on Tuesday at the Wachovia Center, and will host the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday in their regular-season finale.

Atlanta opens a short two-game road trip. On Friday, DeShawn Stevenson scored 25 points and Jarvis Hayes netted 20 as the short-handed Washington Wizards beat the Hawks, 98-85, at Philips Arena.

Marvin Williams scored 24 points and grabbed seven rebounds, while Tyronn Lue had 16 points and 10 assists for the Hawks, who have dropped nine of their last 11 contests overall.

Forward Josh Smith (two-game suspension served) is eligible to return for tonight’s contest. Hawks general manager Billy Knight suspended Smith and cited conduct detrimental to the team as the reason. Smith got into a heated argument with Atlanta coach Mike Woodson near the end of regulation in the club’s 109-104 overtime loss to the Philadelphia 76ers last Sunday at the Wachovia Center.

The Hawks are 12-27 on the road this season. They will visit the Bucks on Monday before returning home to host the Indiana Pacers on Tuesday at Philips Arena in their final game of the campaign.

The Cavaliers are 2-1 against Atlanta this season, and have won four of the last five contests in the series. The Hawks have won two of their last three at Cleveland.