NBA scores 2014: LeBron James, Cavaliers get revenge on Wizards and 3 other things we learned

James nearly notched a triple-double as the Cavs turned the tables on the Wizards.

Nov 27, 2014, 1:00 PM UTC

Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

Less than a week ago, the Cleveland Cavaliers went into Washington and were thoroughly beaten by the Wizards, 91-78. It was the Cavs' third straight loss and things got even uglier the following night against the Raptors. The four straight losses and generally awful play had many wondering what was wrong with the Cavs, but their fortunes have changed in the two games since.

After destroying the Magic by 32 on Monday, the Cavs had a chance to get a little revenge on the Wizards at Quicken Loans Arena on Wednesday. That revenge was had in impressive fashion, with LeBron James nearly posting a triple-double in a 113-87 beatdown. James finished with 29 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists, while Kevin Love scored 21 points and Kyrie Irving added 18.

Cleveland jumped on Washington from the start, running out to a 13-point lead after the first quarter. Not only was the Cavs’ offense sharp, but the much-maligned defense helped turn defense into offense. The Wizards had seven turnovers in the first quarter and those miscues led to 11 points for Cleveland. Washington’s 18 turnovers led to 24 Cavs points.

John Wall had five of those 18 turnovers, and as good as he was in last week's victory, he was just as bad this time around. Wall scored 28 points on 12-of-20 shooting in the win last week, but he had a measly six points on Wednesday.

Another huge difference between the two games was Nene. In the first game, the big man didn't put up monster numbers, but his presence was vital to the Wizards' 50-34 advantage in points in the paint. With Nene out Wednesday due to a foot injury, Washington and Cleveland tied in points in the paint. Kris Humphries wasn't effective at all, and Love was much more comfortable than he was during his eight-point effort in the first matchup.

And of course, getting peak James is always a key for Cleveland. There has been a huge difference in James’ performance in wins and losses. When he’s on top of his game, everything is made so much easier for his teammates. James helped set the tone in the Cavs’ dominant first quarter, going to the line eight times. He finished with 17 free throw attempts, and he made 14 of them.

The blowout victory over Orlando was nice, but a dominant win over a fellow Eastern Conference contender in Washington is even more encouraging for Cleveland. Perhaps these two complete performances will be the springboard for a big run that takes the Cavs to another level.

3 other things we learned

Things almost got real weird in Texas: For at least a little while, it looked like it was going to be bizarro night in Texas. The Knicks had a six-point fourth-quarter lead against the Mavericks in Dallas despite not having Carmelo Anthony while the short-handed Pacers also held a six-point fourth-quarter lead in San Antonio. But, bizarro night wasn't meant to be, as both favorites pulled out wins. The Mavs took home a 109-102 overtime victory thanks to monster performances from Dirk Nowitzki (30 points) and Tyson Chandler (17 points and 25 rebounds). The Spurs grabbed control down the stretch in a 106-100 win. The Dwight Howard-less Rockets also won a bit of a weird game at home against the Kings, with Isaiah Canaan (24 points) and Donatas Motiejunas (21 points) both posting career highs.

Stephen Curry is still shooting flames: A day after dropping 40 points and seven assists on Miami, Curry took his flamethrower to Orlando and set fire to the Magic. The sharpshooter scored 28 points on 9-of-13 shooting overall and 6-of-8 from three-point land in just 24 minutes. That's a ridiculous 21-of-32 overall and 14-of-19 from three in the last two games combined. He also added eight assists, five rebounds and a nasty shake and bake for good measure as the Warriors won going away, 111-96. Golden State's demolition of the NBA continues.

Happy Tanksgiving, Philadelphia: The 76ers were so close to their first win of the season. After falling behind Brooklyn by 20 points in the first half, Philadelphia made a second-half charge and even took a lead in the fourth quarter. But, this is the Sixers we're talking about here, and they simply couldn't make enough plays down the stretch to scratch out a victory. There was a nearly four-minute field goal drought, a turnover in the final minute down two and a horrendous brick by K.J. McDaniels on the ensuing possession. With the 99-91 loss, the Sixers have tied the 1972-73 Sixers for worst start in franchise history at 0-15.

Play of the Night

This play is just so J.R. Smith. With the Knicks down two in the waning moments, going for the win would probably have been the ideal play here. Jose Calderon had been hot all night from deep while Smith had been really struggling, but it was Smith taking a hotly contested long two for the tie. And of course, he hit it. A "NO, NO, NO, YES!" shot at its finest.