CLEVELAND CAVALIERS (7-7) 113, WASHINGTON WIZARDS (9-5) 87
Quicken Loans Arena
Wednesday
Radio: WTAM-AM 1100, WMMS-FM 100.7, La Mega-FM 97.7
TV: Fox Sports Ohio

QUICK SHOTS: 1. Even though Kyrie Irving didn't want to use that word, it was revenge time for the Cavaliers. They were belted by the Wizards on Nov. 21 at the Verizon Center, 91-78. The Wizards' big men had their way in the previous meeting, especially Kevin Seraphin. The Cavaliers had a major presence in the paint on Wednesday, especially Kevin Love (21 points, 5 rebounds) and Anderson Varejao (10 points, 7 rebounds). The bigs have to show up for the Cavs to be successful.

2. Major kudos to Kyrie Irving, who took on the challenge of stopping Wizards guard John Wall. The Washington All-Star was limited to a season-low six points, seven assists and five turnovers. He shot just 2 of 6 from the field. Irving said before the game he wanted to take on the challenge of guarding the opposing team's top offensive threat. Wall had 28 points in the Nov. 21 contest. There's no reason Irving can't be a good defender. He's quick, fast, athletic and strong. A lot of it is want-to. Apparently, he wants to do it now. That is huge for the Cavaliers.

3. Washington played without starting power forward Nene, who is suffering from a bout of plantar fascitis. Kris Humphries moved into the starting lineup, but never showed up. He finished with three points and three rebounds.

4. Blatt has been hinting at changing the starting lineup, but he stuck with Shawn Marion at shooting guard. Change is coming, but it didn't happen tonight. Many thought Mike Miller might start at "2," but the veteran swingman has been non-existent since training camp. He hasn't gotten in either of the last two games. One thing is for sure, you can't play him in 3- and 4-minute bursts and expect any kind of production. He needs to play maybe 8-10 minutes in a row to have any kind of impact. He doesn't have the lateral movement to guard many players, but he can stretch the floor and make a few shots - they hope. Up until this point, he hasn't made anything - 27.8 percent from the field and 20 percent from the 3-point line. He has yet to get to the free-throw line.

4. Marion has started the last 11 games at shooting guard. There are a lot of things to like about Marion's game. Unfortunately, he was not the right fit at shooting guard. When your shooting guard can't shoot or handle, that's going against the grain and putting more pressure on LeBron James and Irving. We all know they drafted Dion Waiters a few years ago to be their starting "2." He's been sent to the bench where he's struggled for the most part. He did have 15 points, six rebounds and three steals on Wednesday, but shot 6 of 17 from the field.

5. The Cavaliers were able to build on their win over the hapless Magic. Now, if they take care of business on Saturday vs. Indiana, they'll have a three-game winning streak. They shared the ball. They didn't turn over the ball and they are defending. It appears as if things are coming together. Of course, it all starts with James, who once again came out on fire. That's what this team needs.

UP NEXT: vs. Indiana, Quicken Loans Arena, 7:30 p.m. Saturday

STARTERS

SF LeBron James (6-8, 250) vs. Paul Pierce (6-8, 220)

PF Kevin Love (6-10, 243) vs. Kris Humphries (6-9, 235)
C Anderson Varejao (6-11, 267) vs. Marcin Gortat (6-11, 240)

SG Shawn Marion (6-7, 228) vs. Bradley Beal (6-5, 205)

PG Kyrie Irving (6-3, 193) vs. John Wall (6-4, 207)

PROJECTED INACTIVE LIST

Cavs - G Matthew Dellavedova, C Alex Kirk
Wizards - G/F Glen Rice, G/F Martell Webster
OFFICIALS

James Capers, Matt Boland, David Guthrie