CLEVELAND -- Becoming the Cleveland Cavaliers’ all-time leader in games should have been one of the highlights of Zydrunas Ilgauskas’ 14-year NBA career.

After undergoing five foot surgeries and suffering a broken foot six times, the proud Lithuanian deserved to bask in the moment when he passed now-GM Danny Ferry by playing in his 724th contest.

Cleveland coach Mike Brown, however, spoiled the occasion by behaving in a classless, arrogant and irresponsible manner in the days leading up to the milestone.

Ilgauskas finally did break the franchise record Wednesday night, collecting a team-high 14 points and eight rebounds off the bench in a 107-90 rout of the Phoenix Suns.

Yet after the easy win, the most beloved player in Cleveland sports could not hide his disappointment over the events of the preceding four days - which began with Brown not allowing him to play in a home victory over the Dallas Mavericks.

"Obviously, I was very disappointed that I didn’t play in the last game,"  an emotional Ilgauskas said. "I know I am a good player and I know that by me playing in that game, I would not have affected the outcome of the game.

"What made me more disappointed and upset were the acts that followed and this whole mess that has been created. I am not going to go into any details, and once again, I’m going to be a bigger man and walk away from this. I know when I go to bed at night, my conscience is clear." 

As it should be.

Since being drafted by the Cavaliers in 1996, Ilgauskas has represented the organization and the city with pure class. Along the way, the 7-3 pivot has played in two All-Star Games and become Cleveland’s career leader in rebounds, blocked shots and minutes.

But when it came time for Ilgauskas to set what he said was the "record that’s most important to me," his coach humiliated him.

Brown handed "Z" his first career "Did Not Play - Coach’s Decision" against the Mavericks, then refused to admit he was wrong for doing so, ambiguously citing matchup problems.

The question now becomes whether he plans to make amends and how he hopes to accomplish that. He completely alienated a major piece, someone who had already been humbled by being asked to accept a backup role, which he did, graciously.

Ilgauskas had started six of the Cavaliers’ previous seven games and played well prior to Dallas' visit. Out of the blue, he became a spare part to Brown and his illogical thought process.

"As a friend of his, I was very upset and I know 'Z' was also," superstar teammate LeBron James said. "I definitely thought he should’ve played. What was on the line was something way bigger than us playing the Mavericks. That was 'Z' breaking the record." 

The reigning Coach of the Year’s subsequent smug remarks on the subject were even more offensive to Cavaliers fans, front office members and Quicken Loans Arena employees - many of whom took Ilgauskas’ snub very personally.

And if there were any doubts how the rest of James’ teammates felt, they were removed when Ilgauskas entered Wednesday's game late in the first quarter. Not only did the sellout crowd give him a prolonged standing ovation, so did the entire Cavaliers bench.

Ilgauskas later made the evening even more meaningful by moving past Austin Carr into third place on the team’s all-time scoring list with 10,269 points.

"You have got to pay homage to a guy like that who has put in so much time and so much effort, and on top of everything he has put into it, he is the best guy you will ever meet," Cavs guard Daniel Gibson said. "We all look to him like a big brother.

"Everybody loves 'Z,' so for him to get that opportunity to break that record and play the way he did tonight, it’s special not only to him, but to the whole team."

True to his humble nature, Ilgauskas asked the Cavaliers’ management not to recognize his milestone during the contest.

Fortunately, the 20,562 fans in the building had other ideas, and began chanting "Zee!" the moment he took off his warmups and headed to the scorer’s table.

When Ilgauskas stepped on the floor, the cheering reached a crescendo.

James even dribbled the ball out to midcourt and held it for the majority of the 24-second clock, just to give the big fellow the recognition he so richly deserves.

"I would like to thank the fans for their reception tonight. That was one of the coolest things I have experienced in my life, and also the closest I’ve probably come to tears on the basketball floor," Ilgauskas said. "I really appreciate it and I thank them."

However, his hard feelings toward Brown clearly linger. Although Ilgauskas has long been one of the most accommodating athletes in Ohio, he declined all interview requests from Saturday through Tuesday.

The 34-year-old pivot also limited his postgame comments to a brief statement and declined to answer questions. But what he did say - and who he didn’t refer to - spoke loudly.

"What I’m going to do is continue to do my job," said Ilgauskas, who extended the visits of numerous family members and friends so they could see his record-setting performance. 

"I love this team, I love my teammates; they’re like a family to me. I am going to come to work every day and try my hardest, win some games, and hopefully win a championship for this city because they deserve it.

"I also want to apologize to you guys (in the media) for not being available the past two days. It has not been an easy ordeal. Thank you."

 No, "Z," thank you - and congratulations.

 Brian Dulik has covered the NBA since 1996. He can be contacted at brisports@hotmail.com.