CLEVELAND — Bradley Beal scored 36 points and the weary Washington Wizards, overcoming an overtime loss and early-morning arrival in town, defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers 124-112 on Thursday night.
The Wizards started slowly after not getting in until around 4 a.m. following an OT defeat in Miami on Wednesday, but took over late in the first quarter and pulled away.
Cleveland has lost six in a row and 11 of 13. The Cavaliers were coming off a 20-point home loss to New York and struggled against the Wizards, who are also at the bottom of the Eastern Conference.
Beal was 15 of 22 from the field and had eight assists in 29 minutes.. The Wizards guard scored 38 points against Miami and is 31 of 46 from the field in the last two games.
Washington shot 55% and hit 16 of 36 3-pointers. Davis Bertans and Ish Smith each scored 17 points while Isaiah Thomas had 13 for the Wizards, who played the second game of a four-game trip.
Collin Sexton scored 29 points for Cleveland. Larry Nance Jr. had 22 and Kevin Love added 21.
The Cavaliers led 18-6, but Beal scored nine points in the first quarter and Washington went ahead for good. Bertans hit three 3-pointers in the opening moments of the second and Washington led 40-26.
Bertans scored 14 in the quarter, when Washington hit 16 of 26 shots. The offense didn’t slow down after halftime. Beal had 11 points in the third and the Wizards built a 98-78 lead.
Cleveland cut the margin to 101-92 early in the fourth, but Beal hit a 3-pointer and scored twice in the lane as Washington pushed its advantage to 114-97.
TIP-INS
Wizards: Coach Scott Brooks, with several starters on minutes limits, used 11 players in the first half. … Washington had lost five straight on the road. … C Anzejs Pasecniks, who missed two games with a sprained left ankle, played 16 minutes and scored four points.
Cavaliers: There’s no timetable for the return of C Ante Zizic, who is experiencing dizziness and other vertigo-like symptoms. “Hopefully he’ll start the progress of getting back on the court, but I don’t expect him soon,” coach John Beilein said. … F Alfonso McKinnie was signed to a second 10-day contract.
UP NEXT
Wizards: Visit Atlanta on Sunday, the third stop on Washington’s four-game road trip.
Cavaliers: Host Chicago on Saturday. The teams have split their first two meetings this season.
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