Wizards have nothing to laugh about after LeBron James’ triple-double

Scott Brooks went through multiple jokes pregame. He took a good-natured shot at a trio of reporters, laughed about when he had to room with Cleveland legend Zydrunas Ilgauskas, and delivered cracks about LeBron James’ 57-point performance the last time the Cavaliers and Washington Wizards played.

James has inflicted a particularly high level of pain during his last three stops in the District, leaving tears as the only option beyond laughter. Late last season, he hit a fadeaway 3-pointer right in front of Washington owner Ted Leonsis to force overtime before Cleveland finished a win. On Nov. 3, he scored 57 points. On Sunday night, he assembled a triple-double to sink the Wizards in Cleveland’s 106-99 win.

James’ spin move with 3:04 to play gave Cleveland its largest lead of the game. The jousting that remained was limited. Washington would come no closer than six points. James finished with 20 points, 15 assists and 12 rebounds after posting up smaller guards throughout the evening or maneuvering around larger players. At 32 years old and in his 15th season, James remains the ultimate matchup problem.

Despite the across-the-line production, the Wizards felt they had a solid performance against James, which in itself is a nod to his unrelenting skill. He was only 8-for-23 from the field and 2-for-7 from behind the 3-point line. When he backed down smaller players like Bradley Beal or John Wall, they wanted to hold their ground as much as possible and make James shoot over the top of them. Trouble is, that’s a shot he has worked to master.

“You’d rather him shoot a fadeaway, but those are shots he works on,” Wall said. “But, we’d rather live with that than other guys getting wide open threes. Then, he’s scoring, then finding those guys at the same time, then that makes them a very tough team to beat.”

James, a frequent critic of President Trump, didn’t just make a statement with his play. He wore one white shoe and one black shoe in the first half that each read “equality” in gold letters across the back. He was asked about the shoes after the game.

“Being (in D.C.), we know where we are right now,” James said. “We know who is at the helm here. Us as Americans, no matter the skin color, no matter the race, no matter who you are, I think we all have to understand having equal rights and being able to stand for something, speak for something, keeping the conversation going.

“Obviously I’ve been very well outspoken and well spoken about the situation that’s going on at the helm here. We’re not going to let one person dictate to us as Americans how beautiful and how powerful we are as a people. Equality is all about understanding our rights, understanding what we stand for and how powerful we are as men, as women, black or white or Hispanic. It doesn’t matter your race or whatever the case may be. This is a beautiful country. We’re never going to let one person dictate how beautiful and how powerful we are.”

Back on the floor, halftime felt well in order because of the 60-60 score. Cleveland deployed numerous lineups, from the smaller starters to the large bench groups, that gave Washington problems. Beal played the first 20 minutes of the game to give Cleveland a flood of problems. He scored 15 points in the half to counter widespread bench production for the Cavaliers. The bench players expanded Cleveland’s early lead when James left the floor, usually a sign of doom for the opposition, by scoring 27 points. Washington pushed back with a late second-quarter run to tie the game just before half.

Washington’s rotation options were limited by injury and fouls. Otto Porter (thigh bruise) was not available to play Sunday night. He came out of the game Friday against the Los Angeles Clippers, did not practice Saturday and his participation in Sunday’s affair was a game-time decision. Brooks said pregame that Porter would warm up then be judged. He was inactive.

Kelly Oubre started in his place. He secured two early fouls and committed his fourth with 6:55 to play in the fourth quarter. Markieff Morris also found his way to foul trouble. He had three fouls in the first half. Morris did not come out to the Wizards’ bench after halftime until three minutes had elapsed in the third quarter because he had whiplash in the first quarter. Team physicians would not let him back on the floor until an X-Ray showed Morris was OK. Mike Scott started the half in Morris’ place. Morris checked into the game with 3:11 to play in the quarter.

There was no further separation in the third quarter, which finished with the teams tied at 83. Beal continued to pile up minutes — he had played 33 of a possible 36 after three quarters — and points, reaching 25 by the end of the third quarter.

But, he would add just two more in the fourth when the Wizards scored 16 as a team and shot just 31.8 percent from the field.

“I was a little tired,” Beal said of the fourth. “But, it’s mental toughness more than anything. I knew what kind of game this was going to be with Otto being out and Kelly in foul trouble and John’s minute restriction, I would have to be playing a little bit more. I was cool with it. I love being on the floor as much as I can.”

James played every minute of the final quarter, nearing a triple-double in that time alone with seven points, seven rebounds and four assists. He departed Washington again in control on the floor and trying to make a point off it.