CLEVELAND (AP) — Nae’Qwan Tomlin scored a career-high 26 points and the Cleveland Cavaliers led wire-to-wire, defeating the Washington Wizards 130-117 Sunday in the regular-season finale for both teams.
Jaylon Tyson was two assists shy of a triple-double with 22 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists as the Cavaliers rested most of their key players because they were locked into the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference. Max Strus — who missed the first 67 games due to a broken left foot — played 18 minutes in the first half and had 10 points and five rebounds.
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Washington Wizards guard Sharife Cooper (13) goes to the basket past Cleveland Cavaliers forward Olivier Sarr (33) in the second half of an NBA basketball game in Cleveland, Sunday, April 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)
Washington Wizards forward Anthony Gill (16) grabs a rebound between Cleveland Cavaliers guard Craig Porter Jr. (9) and forward Larry Nance Jr. (22) in the first half of an NBA basketball game in Cleveland, Sunday, April 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)
Cleveland Cavaliers guard Jaylon Tyson (20) shoots as Washington Wizards guard Jaden Hardy (8) defends in the first half of an NBA basketball game in Cleveland, Sunday, April 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)
Cleveland Cavaliers guard Max Strus (2) dunks next to Washington Wizards guard Jamir Watkins (5) in the first half of an NBA basketball game in Cleveland, Sunday, April 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)
Cleveland Cavaliers forward Nae'qwan Tomlin hangs from the basket after dunking in front of Washington Wizards guard Jamir Watkins (5) in the second half of an NBA basketball game in Cleveland, Sunday, April 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)
The Cavaliers (52-30) — who will face Toronto in the first round — have won 11 of their last 14 games and are 35-14 since Dec. 29. They have 15 straight wins over Washington, the second-longest winning streak against any team in franchise history.
Washington’s Jamir Watkins had a career-high 24 points, while Sharife Cooper and Bub Carrington scored 20 apiece. Carrington is the first NBA player since Karl-Anthony Towns in 2016-17 to appear in all 82 games in each of his first two seasons.
The NBA-worst Wizards (17-65) ended the season on a 10-game losing streak and dropped 26 of their last 27. Their only win during that stretch was on March 25 against Utah.
Cleveland scored a season-high 43 points in the first quarter. Tomlin's 3-pointer put the Cavaliers up 55-31 with 6:41 remaining in the second quarter before the Wizards started rallying back. They went on a 16-5 run over the last four minutes of the first half to get within 65-55 at halftime.
The Wizards pulled within 99-97 early in the fourth quarter on a driving layup by Cooper but could not tie or take the lead.
Wizards: Wait to see if they will have first pick in the draft when the NBA draft lottery is held in May.
Cavaliers: Will face Toronto in the first round of the playoffs.
AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba
Washington Wizards guard Sharife Cooper (13) goes to the basket past Cleveland Cavaliers forward Olivier Sarr (33) in the second half of an NBA basketball game in Cleveland, Sunday, April 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)
Washington Wizards forward Anthony Gill (16) grabs a rebound between Cleveland Cavaliers guard Craig Porter Jr. (9) and forward Larry Nance Jr. (22) in the first half of an NBA basketball game in Cleveland, Sunday, April 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)
Cleveland Cavaliers guard Jaylon Tyson (20) shoots as Washington Wizards guard Jaden Hardy (8) defends in the first half of an NBA basketball game in Cleveland, Sunday, April 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)
Cleveland Cavaliers guard Max Strus (2) dunks next to Washington Wizards guard Jamir Watkins (5) in the first half of an NBA basketball game in Cleveland, Sunday, April 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)
Cleveland Cavaliers forward Nae'qwan Tomlin hangs from the basket after dunking in front of Washington Wizards guard Jamir Watkins (5) in the second half of an NBA basketball game in Cleveland, Sunday, April 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump delivered an extraordinary broadside against Pope Leo XIV on Sunday night, saying he didn't think the U.S.-born global leader of the Catholic Church is “doing a very good job” and that “he's a very liberal person," while also suggesting the pontiff should “stop catering to the Radical Left.”
Flying back to Washington from Florida, Trump used a lengthy social media post to sharply criticize Leo, then kept it up after deplaning, in comments on the tarmac to reporters.
“I’m not a fan of Pope Leo,” he said.
Trump's comments came after Leo suggested over the weekend that a “delusion of omnipotence” is fueling the U.S.-Israel war in Iran. While it’s not unusual for popes and presidents to be at cross purposes, it’s exceedingly rare for the pope to directly criticize a U.S. leader — and Trump’s stinging response is equally uncommon, if not more so.
“Pope Leo is WEAK on Crime, and terrible for Foreign Policy,” the president wrote in his post, adding, “I don’t want a Pope who thinks it’s OK for Iran to have a Nuclear Weapon."
He repeated that sentiment in comments to reporters, saying, “We don’t like a pope who says it’s OK to have a nuclear weapon.”
Later, Trump posted a picture suggesting he had saint-like powers akin to those of Jesus Christ. Wearing a biblical-style robe, Trump is seen laying hands on a bedridden man as light emanates from his fingers, while a soldier, a nurse, a praying woman and a bearded man in a baseball cap all look on admiringly. The sky above is filled with eagles, an American flag and vaporous images.
All of that came after Leo presided over an evening prayer service in St. Peter’s Basilica on Saturday, the same day the United States and Iran began face-to-face negotiations in Pakistan during a fragile ceasefire. The pope didn’t mention the United States or Trump by name, but his tone and message appeared directed at Trump and U.S. officials, who have boasted of U.S. military superiority and justified the war in religious terms.
Leo — who is scheduled to leave Monday for an 11-day trip to Africa — has previously said that God “does not listen to the prayers of those who wage war, but rejects them.” He's also referenced an Old Testament passage from Isaiah, saying that “even though you make many prayers, I will not listen — your hands are full of blood.”
Before the ceasefire, when Trump warned of mass strikes against Iranian power plants and other infrastructure and that “an entire civilization will die tonight,” Leo described such sentiments as “truly unacceptable.”
In his social media post on Sunday night, however, Trump went far beyond the war in Iran in criticizing Leo.
The president wrote, “I don’t want a Pope who thinks it’s terrible that America attacked Venezuela, a Country that was sending massive amounts of Drugs into the United States.” That was a reference to the Trump administration having ousted Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in January.
“I don’t want a Pope who criticizes the President of the United States because I’m doing exactly what I was elected, IN A LANDSLIDE, to do,” Trump added, referencing his 2024 election victory.
He also suggested in the post that Leo only got his position “because he was an American, and they thought that would be the best way to deal with President Donald J. Trump.”
“If I wasn’t in the White House, Leo wouldn’t be in the Vatican,” Trump wrote, adding, “Leo should get his act together as Pope, use Common Sense, stop catering to the Radical Left, and focus on being a Great Pope, not a Politician. It’s hurting him very badly and, more importantly, it’s hurting the Catholic Church!”
In his subsequent comments to reporters, Trump remained highly critical, saying of Leo, “I don’t think he’s doing a very good job. He likes crime I guess” and adding, “He’s a very liberal person.”
In the 2024 election, Trump won 55% of Catholic voters, according to AP VoteCast, an extensive survey of the electorate. But Trump's administration also has close ties to conservative evangelical Protestant leaders and has claimed heavenly endorsement for the war on Iran.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth urged Americans to pray for victory “in the name of Jesus Christ.” And, when Trump was asked whether he thought God approved of the war, he said, “I do, because God is good — because God is good and God wants to see people taken care of.”
President Donald Trump speaks with reporters at Joint Base Andrews, Md., Sunday, April 12, 2026, after he returned from Miami. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)
Pope Leo XIV delivers the Regina Coeli prayer in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican, Sunday, April 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)
President Donald Trump speaks with reporters at Joint Base Andrews, Md., Sunday, April 12, 2026, after he returned from Miami. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)
