AJ Dybantsa scored 19 points in his NBA debut, but the Washington Wizards could not hold off the Cleveland Cavaliers, who rallied for a 121-111 victory on Wednesday night at Rocket Arena. Evan Mobley scored 24 points and grabbed 12 rebounds, while Peyton Watson added 22 points to help Cleveland extend its winning streak to three games.
The No. 1 pick in the June draft, Dybantsa started at shooting guard and played 27 minutes after missing Washington’s first four games with a sprained ankle. He shot 8-for-12 from the field, made one three-pointer and converted both free throws.
Dybantsa scored nine points in the first quarter. His alley-oop finish off a pass from Kyshawn George gave Washington a 76-63 lead early in the third quarter.
The Wizards led 69-59 at halftime and remained in front through much of the third period, but Cleveland began cutting into the deficit before taking control in the fourth. Mobley’s layup with 11:19 remaining put the Cavaliers ahead 94-92, their first lead since late in the opening quarter.
Washington briefly moved back in front, leading 105-104, before Cleveland scored nine consecutive points to seize control. Mobley made five of six three-point attempts and scored 10 points in the fourth quarter, providing the decisive push as the Cavaliers completed the comeback.
Watson, who joined Cleveland from Denver during the offseason, finished with six rebounds in 28 minutes. Donovan Mitchell added 19 points and seven assists, while James Harden contributed 16 points and six assists. Jarrett Allen recorded eight points and 12 rebounds as Cleveland outrebounded Washington 47-27.
Anthony Davis and Alex Sarr each scored 18 points for the Wizards, while Bilal Coulibaly added 17 on 8-for-9 shooting. George finished with 11 assists, helping Washington build its early advantage, but the team shot just 25% from three-point range, making eight of 32 attempts.
The Cavaliers improved to 3-1 and extended their winning streak against Washington to 17 games, the longest active head-to-head winning streak in the NBA. The Wizards fell to 2-3.
Washington hosts the Charlotte Hornets on Friday, while Cleveland travels to face the Atlanta Hawks on Thursday.
