There’s also a chance the team could recall Manny Harris from their Canton affiliate in the NBA Development League. Harris was named the D-League’s player of the week after averaging 25 points and 7.3 rebounds in three games.

By JAMES W. WADE III

Staff Reporter

The Cleveland Cavaliers are playing some decent basketball against some great teams. Boston Celtics with their big 3 was no match for rookie Kyrie Irving. The Cavs beat Boston 88-87 the other night with Irving making the game winning shot.

Irving scored 23 points, including the go-ahead layup in the final seconds as Cleveland scored the last 12 points of the game to snap Boston’s four-game winning streak. The No. 1 overall pick in the 2011 draft, Irving remembered missing a potential game-winner on the same play when the Cavaliers played Indiana on Dec. 30.

“They gave me the ball at the end of the game and they trusted me to make that shot,” said Irving, whose father, former Boston University star Drederick Irving, was in the stands. “So I’m happy that I actually made the shot this time.”

Irving scored eight points in the fourth quarter, including six in the 12-0 run that brought the Cavs back for the win. Anderson Varejao scored 18 points and added nine rebounds for Cleveland, which had lost five of six.

Irving was the third-youngest player to hit a game-winning field goal or free throw since the 2002-03 season. Irving was 19 years 312 days old on Sunday. Seattle's Kevin Durant hit a game-winner to beat the Hawks, 126-123, on Nov. 16, 2007, when he was 19 years 48 days, and the Clippers Shaun Livingston was 19 years 206 days old when he hit a game-winner to beat the Bobcats, 104-102 on April 4, 2005.

After practice Monday, Irving said he was the “same old Kyrie” and was looking forward to the Cavaliers’ game with Boston on Tuesday.

The Cavs are hoping there will be many more memorable moments for the 19-year-old Irving, the No. 1 overall pick who has shown a fearlessness and willingness to take the game’s final shot.

The Cavs always seem to have fight injuries. Cavaliers guard Daniel Gibson remained hospitalized in Boston for more tests on a neck infection.

Gibson was at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, where he was being treated with antibiotics for what the team said has been diagnosed as a soft tissue infection in his neck. The team said Monday night that Gibson would stay in the hospital for additional treatment and tests.

Gibson, who has been with the Cavs since 2006, did not play in Sunday night’s win over the Celtics because of a sore neck. He stayed behind after the team returned to Cleveland following the game.

Both Gibson and starting guard Anthony Parker will miss Tuesday’s home game against Boston, and Cavs coach Byron Scott doesn’t know how long he’ll be without the two players.

Parker has been bothered by a sore lower back, which limited him to 14 minutes in Sunday’s win over the Celtics. Parker sat out Monday’s practice as the team prepared for their second game in three days with the Celtics.

Scott said Parker was hurting early in the game at Boston.

“I just remember him going up and down the floor a couple times and he was kind of grimacing,” Scott said. “Then he gave me the sign to take him out. I don’t think it had to do with playing 10 minutes in the first quarter.”

Parker, who is averaging 6 points and 23 minutes, sat out one game last week because of his back.

The Cavs don’t have many options to replace Parker or Gibson, who started the game.

Rookie Mychel Thompson played the entire fourth quarter on Sunday against the Celtics. Also, 6-foot-6 Alonzo Gee, who has been playing small forward, could move into the backcourt as he has done at times this season.

There’s also a chance the team could recall Manny Harris from their Canton affiliate in the NBA Development League. Harris was named the D-League’s player of the week after averaging 25 points and 7.3 rebounds in three games.