Nobody on the Cavaliers played much defense last night. Not even the ball boy.

The game at Gund Arena, won by Atlanta 105-96, was between cellar-dwellers in the Central Division. Nevertheless, the game should get plenty of mention on highlight shows.

That's because Hawks guard Jacque Vaughn nearly ran over a Cavs ball boy and his mop after making a steal midway through the second quarter. Vaughn pilfered the ball from Cavs guard Bimbo Coles in the backcourt, and standing in his way was Mike Templin, who was mopping the floor after a previous player had fallen. Vaughn banged into Templin as he made a layup.

``I'm a little embarrassed,'' said Templin, a 16-year-old from Strongsville. ``It's just one of those things.''

Did Templin expect to end up on SportsCenter?

``Yeah, I'm sure I'll be on,'' he said. ``I'll watch.''

After the incident, Vaughn went to great lengths to make sure Templin was OK. That later allowed Cavs coach John Lucas to smile for the only time after the game.

Cleveland Cavaliers coach John Lucas has put the Chris Mihm at power forward move on hold indefinitely.

Michael Doleac, who has missed the last four Cavs game with a foot injury, was the man in the middle while Mihm put in work from his new spot. Mihm, drafted as a center, has showed some flashes of what his future could be at power forward but his play at center in Doleac's absence has often been solid.

Doleac had X-rays yesterday, and he has a fracture in his left foot.

Mihm dominated Washington center Jahidi White with 13 points and 10 rebounds while White finished with six points and four rebounds on Tuesday. Last week, Mihm had 15 points and eight rebounds against Dikembe Mutombo (who had nine points and 20 rebounds) and 10 points and five rebounds against Miami's Alonzo Mourning (14 points, seven rebounds).

"I'm out there doing whatever is asked of me," Mihm said. "It's a little different going up against Dikembe and Alonzo the other night but that's fun. Being able to play different positions makes you a better player and more valuable to your team. And I'll do whatever it takes for us to be successful and I'll try to do my best, no matter what position I'm in."

The Cleveland Cavaliers were riding high with a three-game home winning streak before last night's game. The victories included some impressive individual play and the struggles of the past were beginning to be an afterthought.

Well, that home winning streak ended last night and so did the Cavs' recent good fortune. More bad news followed the game.

"Michael Doleac has some type of fracture [in his left foot]," said Cavaliers coach John Lucas. "That's just what we needed. We're already short-handed."

Doleac, who last played on Nov. 21, will undergo further examination today and his status should be determined then. Meanwhile, the Cavs will use today to lick their wounds from last night's 105-96 loss to the Atlanta Hawks before a crowd of 11,201 at Gund Arena.

It was a game where the Cavs (5-11) had so much control that they led by 13 in the first quarter and 11 in the second. It wasn't the same Cavs team that held on and held back Washington's late run on Tuesday. Last night's team could only watch Emanual Davis and Toni Kukoc drain 3-pointers and nail key baskets down the stretch.

The frustration led Lucas to pounding on the scorer's table and yelling at members of his team during the final 30 seconds.

A day after outplaying Michael Jordan, Cavaliers guard Ricky Davis
got a lot of attention. He participated yesterday in an online chat with ESPN.com. ``It was great playing against (Jordan),'' said Davis, who had 18 points on 9-of-14 shooting to Jordan's 18 points on 9-of-24 shooting as the Cavs beat Washington 94-75. When it was pointed out he needed 10 fewer field-goal attempts to score the same amount of points as Jordan, Davis said: ``He had to ice his arm down after that. Like Randy Johnson.'' The Cavs acquired Davis from Miami on Oct. 26. In a three-team deal, the Cavs also got forward Brian Skinner from Toronto while sending Chris Gatling to the Heat in a sign-and-trade. ``It was a steal,'' Cavs guard Bimbo Coles said.
COLES' COMEBACK -- When Coles walked into the locker room Tuesday, he saw a note written on the blackboard by Cavs coach John Lucas. It read, ``Will the real Bimbo Coles please show up.'' In his previous three games, Coles shot 1-of-7 and had 4 points in 27 minutes. He came back against the Wizards to score six points on 3-of-5 shooting and hand out five assists in 20 minutes. Coles, who missed 29 games last season with a bad left knee, said he was bothered by swelling in the same knee. But Coles, 33, said he felt better this week after asking out of some drills in practice. ``The key is not killing myself in practice,'' he said. ``I basically was going too hard in practice and not getting any breaks and that's being a little stupid.''

DOLEAC TO THE DOCTOR -- What looked to be a routine sprained ankle could be something worse. That's the fear the Cavs have regarding center Michael Doleac, who has missed the past three games with a left ankle problem. Doleac had a bone scan and an MRI yesterday, and results are due back today. ``I'm concerned,'' Cavs general manager Jim Paxson said. ``Over four or five days, the ankle really hasn't been getting better.'' Lucas, who called Doleac ``doubtful'' for tonight's game against Atlanta, did not rule out the possibility that Doleac could end up on the injured list.

NOTABLE -- Paxson said it will be decided after tomorrow's practice whether center DeSagana Diop will be cleared to play Saturday against Charlotte. Diop hasn't played since suffering a sprained knee in the Oct. 30 opener. Paxson said he and Lucas want to see how Diop looks while wearing a new knee brace. . . . Guard Bryant Stith, on the injured list since Nov. 7 with a hip injury, could be activated by the weekend. Part of the decision, though, will hinge on whether Doleac will have to be shelved. . . . Jordan attempted no free throws Tuesday for the first time since March 15, 1997, when he played for Chicago against Atlanta. That's a span of 111 games.

Chris Tomasson of the Akron Beacon Journal reports: Cavaliers center Zydrunas Ilgauskas believes he's ready to play. Head coach John Lucas wants him to play. But apparently there is someone in Chicago who carries more clout.

Herb Rudoy, Ilgauskas' agent, said yesterday he was the driving force behind the decision to have Ilgauskas not play until at least mid-December as he recovers from foot surgery last February.

``I wanted him to wait,'' Rudoy said. ``I've had this plan since the surgery. I'm the one that wants him to be real cautious. I can tell you that it's not (Cavaliers) management, it's me. I have a very close relationship with Zydrunas. I'm really encouraging him to take his time. ''

``Mid-December has been our target for a long time for giving him the best chance to succeed,'' Rudoy said. ``Gordon Gund (the Cavs owner) and Jim Paxson have been on board with that. I'm hopeful he's going to be ready to play Dec. 15.''

According to guard Bimbo Coles, Michael Jordan has lost more than the hops. The fear factor that accompanied Jordan is no longer there.

"When Michael got the ball before," said Coles, "guys were scared to death because of what he could do to you when he elevated.

"Now, he settles for the jumper."

Jordan, 38, looked as frustrated as he's ever looked during the Cavaliers' 94-75 victory over the Washington Wizards on Tuesday night. He missed 15 of 24 shots from the field, including one off an alley-oop pass that he would have dunked with his right elbow years ago. And he failed to get to the free-throw line for the first time in 111 games dating to March 1997.

"He's still good," said Coles, "but he is not the same player he once was."

The legs may be shot, but the appeal remains. Wesley Person, accompanied by his 6-year-old son Wesley Jr., visited Jordan afterward in the Wizards locker room. Junior was wearing a Wizards jersey, with Jordan's No. 23 on it, and exited with an autographed basketball.

The highlight tapes are reserved for those who attack the rim, guys like high-flying Ricky Davis. They are reserved for those who hit the fallaway 18-footers, the Lamond Murrays of the NBA.

Someone has to do the dirty work, though, and Skinner has recently done plenty of it for the re surgent Cavaliers. "I look at myself as an old-fashioned power forward," said Skinner, a 6-9, 265-pounder from Baylor. "I hustle. I chase down loose balls.

"I do whatever it takes to help win games."

Skinner's play over the last four games have had as much to do with the Cavaliers winning three as anyone. Coming off the bench in relief of starter Jumaine Jones, Skinner has 26 rebounds, 17 points, 12 blocked shots and two turnovers in 111 minutes of the last four games.

In Tuesday night's 94-75 victory over the Washington Wizards, he contributed seven rebounds, three blocked shots, two points and no turnovers in 31 minutes. In 15 games, all off the bench, he has four double-figure rebounding efforts.

Despite ranking seventh in minutes (20.2 a game), Skinner is the team's second-leading shot-blocker (1.33) and its fifth-leading rebounder (5.1).

According to the Washington Post, Washington Wizards swingman Michael Jordan didn't mince words after his team's pitiful performance tonight during a 94-75 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers before a sold-out Gund Arena crowd of 20,562.

"I just think we stink," said Jordan, who came out of three years of retirement to play for a team he largely put together as part owner and president of basketball operations the previous two seasons.

"When you don't come in with the same focus every night, I think you get so happy after one win, you just don't come with the same intensity. I just don't think we were ready to play at their level or anybody's level when you come in and don't give [an] effort right out of the box."

"We were lifeless," Wizards Coach Doug Collins said. "I knew it before the game. Guys messed around getting out on the floor. We kept asking them to get out and get warmed up and we got out on the floor and we were down 20. You've got to come out and compete. We came out and we were lifeless. We had no energy."

"I haven't shot the ball particularly well, I'm not going to sit here and make excuses," Jordan said. "I missed layups. I missed wide-open shots. But that doesn't mean it should sink our boat. There's other guys who can put points on the board. I don't see anybody covering my back, as everybody probably expected me to cover theirs.

"That's something I'm not going to live too much with. It's not fun to go out there and not see the effort, especially if I'm not 100 percent. These guys are young enough to step forward and give the effort. If not, if they can't make a basket or two, at least they shouldn't lack on the defensive end. I don't see that sense of urgency right now."

Come on guys, don't mince words.  Tell us what you really think.

LeBron James. James worked out with Jordan in Chicago last August, when Jordan was getting in shape for his comeback. ``He's a very talented guy,'' said Jordan, who played at Gund Arena last night with Washington. ``I think he's going to continue to get better at that young age. He's very talented, but obviously he still has some learning to do. The potential is there, and that's something to keep the motivation and the fire burning. If he continues to work hard, he can very well end up on this level. I don't know how quickly he's planning to do that.'' There has been much speculation that James, a junior, will enter the NBA draft straight out of high school.
HAYWOOD MAKES DEBUT -- Wizards center Brendan Haywood, drafted by the Cavs in June, made his NBA debut last night. After missing the first 12 games with a thumb injury sustained in the preseason, Haywood was activated Monday. After the Cavs took Haywood with the No. 20 pick, he was traded to Orlando for center Michael Doleac. Later in the summer, Haywood was shipped to the Wizards. ``It was good both ways,'' Haywood said of the deal from the Cavs. ``I wasn't excited to be coming to Cleveland and they weren't excited to have me.'' Haywood didn't get to face Doleac, who missed his third consecutive game with a sprained left ankle. Cavs coach John Lucas is hopeful Doleac will be able to play tomorrow against Atlanta.

JORDAN MEMORIES -- Before the game, Lucas recounted some of his favorite Jordan memories. While coaching Philadelphia in the mid-1990s, Lucas screamed at a 76er having trouble guarding Jordan. ``I yelled, `Stop letting him do all that (stuff),' '' Lucas said. ``At the next dead ball, (Jordan) came over and said to me, `What makes you think he's letting me do that?' '' Also while coaching the 76ers, Lucas allowed Kobe Bryant, then a schoolboy in the Philadelphia area, to work out with the team. ``When Chicago came in, I had Kobe come in early to introduce him to Michael,'' Lucas said. ``He said, `It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Jordan.' I said, `You're going to be in the league next year. You can't say that.' (Jordan) looked at me and started laughing.''

Cavaliers guard Ricky Davis wanted to dunk on Michael Jordan, and he did. But what fun could it really have been to dunk on this version of Jordan.

When Davis last night took an alley-oop pass and rammed it home early in the fourth quarter, Jordan just stood there. It had to be as satisfying as beating Jessie Owens, the 1936 Olympic champion, in the 100-meter dash in 1956. Or as fulfilling as hitting a longer tee shot last weekend than Sam Snead.

It was a sad state of affairs at Gund Arena.

A sellout crowd of 20,562 came to see Jordan, looking very strange in a Washington Wizards uniform, bring back some glimpses of his glory years. But there weren't any.

In a 94-75 loss to the Cavs, Jordan shot 9-of-24 for 18 points before strolling meekly to the bench for good with 4:33 remaining. He made Jumaine Jones, Lamond Murray and Davis, not exactly known as stoppers, look like candidates for Defensive Player of the Year. He picked up silly fouls that even 19-year-old Wizards rookie Kwame Brown wouldn't commit.

No, this is not your father's Michael Jordan. Jordan looked like a fat Elvis making his final concert tour. Or Marlon Brando in Apocalypse Now.