WIZARDS 91, CAVALIERS 78

WASHINGTON (AP) _ John Wall took over in the third quarter and finished 28 points, seven assists and six rebounds as Washington knocked LeBron James and Cleveland back below .500 with the Cavaliers’ third straight loss.

Resuming a rivalry that peaked last decade when the Wizards and James’ Cavaliers met three consecutive years in the playoffs _ it was so intense that both Jay-Z and Soulja Boy got involved _ the Wizards grabbed a majority of the 50-50 rebounds and capitalized on the defensive woes that have hurt Cleveland.

James scored 22 points on 8-for-21 shooting, but Cleveland committed 19 turnovers, shot 36 per cent and scored a season-low in points. James was never below .500 more than 10 games into a season during his four seasons with the Miami Heat, but he and the Cavaliers are now 5-6