"An hour before tip-off, Cavaliers forward Antawn Jamison shot around on the court he called home for 51/2 years while a few fans called out to him to wish him well. That was the extent of his deflating homecoming to the Verizon Center on Saturday.

Wizards fans were disappointed he didn't play, but Jamison has bigger worries, such as figuring out what is troubling a left knee that forced him to miss his third consecutive game.

''It's getting better, it's just a real slow process,'' Cavaliers coach Byron Scott said. ''Unfortunately, we thought it would heal a little quicker, but it hasn't. It's still puffy. The swelling has gone down, but it's not gone.''

Jamison will have three more days to get ready for a game against the New Jersey Nets on Tuesday, the date Scott seems to have been shooting for all along.

''We're just seeing if we can alleviate every pain that he has so when he plays, it's not a recurring issue,'' Scott said."