Wizards upset Cavaliers

In the closest thing they'll have to a playoff game this year, Gilbert Arenas and the Wizards recovered after blowing a 14-point second-half lead and ended the franchise-record 13-game winning streak of LeBron James and Cleveland Cavaliers with a 109-101 victory last night in Washington.

Arenas, playing his second game of the season in his latest attempt to return from knee surgery, had 11 points, 10 assists, and 6 rebounds.

Brendan Haywood, making his first start of the season, had 12 points and 10 rebounds for the Wizards, who also received the usual steady contributions from Caron Butler (25 points) and Antawn Jamison (19) and a surprising 17 points on 6-for-8 shooting from Darius Songaila as they snapped a three-game losing streak.

James scored 22 of his 31 points in the second half and finished with 6 assists and 9 rebounds, but was responsible for all 5 of his team's turnovers until Daniel Gibson traveled in the final minute of the third quarter. James finished with 6 turnovers, and had a 3-pointer stuffed in his face by Butler in the final half-minute.

The Wizards led, 68-54, midway through the third quarter and 80-70 going into the fourth, but the Cavaliers opened the final period with a 16-6 run with James on the bench. Wally Szczerbiak's 3-pointer put the teams even at 86 with 7:13 remaining.

The Wizards answered with an 11-3 spurt, including a 3-point play and a drive to the basket by Songaila and a short jumper from Arenas. Arenas later assisted on back-to-back baskets by Butler and Jamison to get the lead to 9.

James helped trim the lead to 4 with a 3-pointer and a free throw, but Nick Young's explosive drive to the basket with 1:05 to play put the Wizards ahead, 104-98. The sellout crowd roared as Washington beat Cleveland for the second time this season.

Nuggets 114, Jazz 104 - Denver reached 50 wins faster than any time in its NBA history, when J.R. Smith sank eight 3-pointers and scored 28 points to beat visiting Utah.

Smith had 21 points in 15 minutes in the first half, helping turn an 11-point deficit into a 54-43 halftime lead that Denver never surrendered against a team that's lost six of its last seven road games.

76ers 105, Bucks 95 - Andre Iguodala scored 20 points and Lou Williams had 14 of his 21 points in the second half as host Philadelphia rallied from a 13-point first-half deficit to defeat Milwaukee.