CLEVELAND — The Cleveland Cavaliers ended their 2025-26 regular season with a 130-117 win over the Washington Wizards on April 12, and Nae'qwan Tomlin made sure the final night looked like a player trying to leave a mark. He rebounded his own miss three times in one possession, then later took a borderline heat-check three-pointer after knocking down back-to-back jumpers in the first half.
Tomlin looked like the kid who decided to show up on Senior Skip Day, but the effort was hard to miss. He finished with 10 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 block and 1 steal, and the sequence of second chances around the rim captured the same restless energy that has made him easy to notice. He was shooting 20% from downtown this season, so the heat-check three stood out as much for confidence as for outcome. Afterward, Tomlin summed up the night in two words: “That’s a wrap.”
The game also gave Cleveland one last look at a few young players who were asked to do more than simply survive the final date on the calendar. Tyrese Proctor had a near-triple-double with 22 points, 11 rebounds, 8 assists and 6 turnovers, and his line came with the kind of mixed verdict that often follows a promising young guard. He showed a smooth jumper and good defensive instincts, enough for Tomlin to say he was optimistic about Proctor’s future and to add that his unbridled enthusiasm was something he had no choice but to respect.
Max Strus added 15 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 steals, while Enaruna scored 10 points with 6 rebounds, 3 assists and 1 block. Minix chipped in with a one-legged jumper early and then made hustle plays on defense. Nance got one final run this season with the youngings, a small but fitting sign-off for a roster that used the night to sort out who could carry something into next year and who was simply trying to get through the last whistle.
The Cavaliers’ final box score read like an ending and an audition at the same time. Washington was the opponent, but the real work was inside Cleveland’s own rotation, where the team spent the last game of the season measuring energy, shot-making and mistakes against the broader question of what comes next.
