After a three game losing streak, who would have thought a match up with the Cleveland Cavaliers, owners of the second best record in the NBA going into Saturday night, would be just what the doctor ordered for the Washington Wizards? Both teams were coming off games on Friday; the Wiz lost at Detroit and the Cavs pounded the hapless Timberwolves at home. In this topsy turvy start to the NBA season, the Cavs have looked good early but recently lost their $60 million man, Larry Hughes – remember him?- to a sprained ankle. Or as The Sports Guy would say, “he has an ankle.”

The Cavs stormed out of the gate early, building a seven point lead as Eric Snow racked up six assists in the first quarter alone. The Wiz looked a little tired but stayed within single digits of the Cavs and waited to make their move. The first 15 minutes of the game were rather unremarkable, but the fans got what they paid for from there on out.

It began in the second quarter when Gilbert Arenas (who else?) started dueling with LeBron James. For much of the second and third quarters, whenever James would score or feed a teammate for an easy bucket, Gilbert would come right back at the Cavs with quick jumpers or forays to the bucket. And it worked. Gil scored 15 in the second period to give the Wiz a four point lead going into the half. The Cavs left their A-game in the locker room after the break as the Wiz almost doubled the Cavs point total – 31 to 16 – and put the game away in the third. Arenas dropped 17 points in the quarter and the Wiz blew the game open leading by as much as 19. The Cavs looked tired and uninterested, seemingly counting down the time until their flight back home.