Love helps Cavs end Wizards' home win streak
WASHINGTON -- Kevin Love scored 39 points as the Cleveland Cavaliers stopped the Washington Wizards' 17-game home winning streak with a thrilling 140-135 overtime victory on Monday night despite LeBron James fouling out for the first time in over three years.
Kyrie Irving had 11 of his 23 points in overtime with seven in the final 62 seconds for the Cavaliers (35-15), who forced the extra period on a miraculous game-tying 3-pointer off the backboard by James with three-tenths of a second remaining in regulation. James had 32 points and career-high 17 assists before picking up his sixth foul with 4:13 remaining in the extra session.
Bradley Beal scored 41 points for the Wizards (30-21). Washington, which had won seven games in a row overall, had not lost a home contest since Dec. 6 against the Orlando Magic.
Washington led by as many as five in overtime and 133-131 on Beal's sixth 3-pointer with 1:20 remaining. Irving scored the next five points including a 3-pointer with 35 seconds left for a 136-133 lead.
Beal missed a potential game-tying 3-pointer with 4.9 seconds remaining. Love hit two free throws to seal the win and finished 11 for 11 from the line.
Otto Porter scored 25 points for the Wizards. John Wall had 22 points and 12 assists.
The sellout crowd roared from the start in what was arguably the biggest regular-season home game for Washington since the Verizon Center opened in 1997. Wall, the No. 1 overall NBA Draft pick in 2010, couldn't think of another when asked following Saturday's 105-91 win over the New Orleans Pelicans.
James last fouled out on Jan. 10, 2014. He first tied and set his career-high for assists with passes to 3-point shooters Kyle Korver and Love for a 116-112 lead with 1:16 remaining. After Washington regained the lead with a Markieff Morris putback and went up 120-117 on two Wall free throws with 3.4 seconds left, James forced overtime by banking a step-back 3-pointer off a full-court inbounds pass from Love.
Washington started the season with a 2-8 mark, including a 105-94 home loss to Cleveland on Nov. 11. Beal missed that game with an injury.
In the rematch he showed what the Wizards were missing early with 16 points in the first half. Porter made all five of his field goal attempts including three 3-pointers for 13 points as the Wizards led 57-54 despite James' 12 points and 10 assists.
NOTES: Cavaliers coach Tyronn Lue played in Washington from 2001-2003 during Michael Jordan's NBA comeback. "He brought all the energy to the city ... It was sold out for two straight years," said Lue, who also came away from the experience with ample amounts of Jordan memorabilia that he displays at his home. "A lot. We got it done. We got it taken care of. I earned it by playing hard every night. That's all I could give him. That's how I earned it." ... Washington plays at Brooklyn Wednesday. The Wizards are 2-0 against the Nets, including a 118-113 road win on Dec. 5. ... Cleveland's four-game road trip heads to Indiana. The Cavaliers lost the first meeting 113-103 on Nov. 16. ...The Wizards visit Cleveland March 25.