Ex-Jazzman Pavlovic has found groove with Cavs

CLEVELAND — Sasha Pavlovic, buried on Cleveland's bench for nearly three months, has gone from obscurity to necessity for the Cavaliers, who have been battling expectations while searching for an offensive spark all season.

Coach Mike Brown found one sitting a few feet away.

Pavlovic, the former Utah Jazzman, is playing the best ball of his four-year career. In his past seven games, he's averaging 15 points on 50 percent shooting (34-of-68), with 3.3 rebounds and 2.7 assists in 25 minutes.

On Sunday, he scored 13 of his 21 points in the fourth quarter in Cleveland's 99-90 win over the Los Angeles Lakers. At times, Pavlovic was the most impressive player on the floor — more than James or even fellow superstar Kobe Bryant, who were outslashed and outshined down the stretch by the far-less-famous European.

A gifted slasher with a decent outside touch, the 6-foot-7 Pavlovic has a smooth offensive game. His defense has been just the opposite, the primary reason Brown rarely used him last season and why Pavlovic played only four minutes in the NBA playoffs.

IVERSON OUT: Allen Iverson will skip the All-Star Game because of a sprained right ankle that has bothered him for two weeks.

Iverson was chosen as a reserve to the Western Conference squad for Sunday's game in Las Vegas, but the Denver Nuggets guard has missed seven of his past eight games after spraining his right ankle Jan. 29.

SPURS TRADE WILLIAMS: The San Antonio Spurs traded forward Eric Williams and a draft pick to the Charlotte Bobcats for forward-center Melvin Ely in an exchange of veteran backups.