WASHINGTON — LeBron James went up for the shot and had the ball stripped cleanly by Caron Butler, who went the length of the court for a dunk that gave the Washington Wizards a 29-point lead.
That’s right. No contact on the play. Even James couldn’t call it “Hack-a-Bron.” James was beaten on the play and he knew it, much the same way his Cleveland Cavaliers beaten soundly by the Washington Wizards, 108-72 on Thursday night.
Maybe it was the haircuts. Maybe it was Soulja Boy sitting on Row 1. Or the sight of Colin Powell in a Wizards “White Out” T-shirt. Or just the comfort of being home. Or the inspiration of having Gilbert Arenas in the starting lineup, even though he limped out of the game in the first half and might be done for the series.
Actually, there were plenty of reasons the Wizards routed their playoff nemesis in a party at the Verizon Center. DeShawn Stevenson and Butler found their games. James didn’t have his. And, yes, those 15 first-half Cleveland turnovers had a lot to do with it, too.
Stevenson had a “can’t-feel-my-face” 19 points, Butler scored 17 — highlighted by an incredible layup move in the first half — and the Wizards shot 52 percent and took themselves off the ropes by cutting Cleveland’s lead to 2-1 in the first-round series.
One game after setting a franchise playoff record with a 30-point win in Game 2, the Cavaliers set another team postseason mark by losing by 36. The margin of victory also set a Wizards franchise playoff record.
Washington will also host Game 4 on Sunday, when coach Eddie Jordan’s players will have the confidence of knowing they aren’t destined to be forever hexed by James and Co. Cleveland had won eight straight playoff games against the Wizards, including a first-round sweep a year ago.
The Wizards took control with a pair of 9-0 runs in the first half in a remarkable turn of events after Cleveland’s 116-86 win in Game 2 on Monday. They led 49-33 at halftime, and the Cavaliers never threatened to make a game of it in the second half.
The Wizards tried to force James, who scored 32 and 30 points in Games 1 and 2, to shoot more from outside, and it worked for the most part. Booed heavily every time he touched the ball, the Cavaliers All-Star couldn’t get into a flow before the game became a blowout. His first-half numbers: 5-for-11 from the field with only one trip to the free throw line for a total of 11 points.
James finished with 22 points on 10-for-19 shooting from the field and 2-for-4 from the line. He also had seven rebounds, three assists and four turnovers. He laughed when fans started chanting “Overrated!” when he was at the line late in the third quarter and was so distracted that he missed the shot. He tried to make up for it a few seconds later with an emphatic one-handed flying dunk — but the basket only served to cut the lead to 26.
The chant was a reference to Stevenson’s claim that James was “overrated” following a Wizards’ victory over the Cavaliers last month. James said responding to that remark would be like Jay-Z responding to Soulja Boy — a hip-hop mogul answering a one-hit wonder.
Stevenson had to eat his words after Games 1 and 2, but he had Soulja Boy dancing in the aisle Thursday night while going 5-of-7 on 3-pointers. After making his shots, Stevenson ran down the court waving his hand in front of his nose, the “can’t-feel-my-face” gesture that Cleveland’s Damon Jones mocked in Game 2.
The Wizards no doubt felt they got the calls that they argued were lacking in games at Cleveland, games that were marred by physical play. James was fouled often by Washington in those games, and Brendan Haywood was ejected in Game 2 for a hard foul while James attempted a layup.
On Thursday night, Haywood and Zydrunas Ilgauskas got mutual technicals for pushing and shoving in the first quarter — the fifth and sixth technicals of the series — but the hostilities didn’t escalate. The crowd roared its approval when James was called for a charge for knocking over Butler in the first quarter.
The one major issue for the Wizards is Arenas, who started for the first time since November but injured his surgically repaired knee in the first half. He walked off the court late in the first half with an obvious limp. A bone bruise was diagnosed, and he is listed as day-to-day. He played 10 minutes, scoring two points with three assists.
Several Wizards also sported a new look in front of the home crowd, which was almost universally dressed in white. Butler had his nickname — “Tough Juice” — etched into the back of his hair. Stevenson and Andray Blatche sported mohawks, and Nick Young showed off a modified high-top fade.
Butler, one of several Wizards who struggled in Game 2, went 7-for-14 from the field and had one amazing layup. He spun around Ilgauskas and was going to slam over Joe Smith before double-clutching in mid-air. Butler then pushed the ball toward the basket and got the roll.
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