In Kyrie Irving's seventh game since breaking his kneecap in Game 1 of the NBA Finals, the Cleveland Cavaliers' guard broke the hearts of the Washington Wizards.
LeBron James scored 34 points, but Irving dazzled in the fourth quarter with 19 of his 32 points as Cleveland won their fifth straight game with a 121-115 victory over the Wizards.
Cavaliers coach David Blatt happy to have the Melbourne-born scoring machine firing again.
"There will be days when he's better and days when he's going to have some effect of the many months he was out, but that sure didn't look like that tonight," Blatt said.
James helped stake the Cavaliers to an 18-point lead by hitting all four of his three-pointers less than four minutes into the third quarter.
The Wizards (15-18) countered with their own barrage from beyond the arc, eventually tying the game 95-95 with 10:53 remaining.
Irving dominated from there, scoring the game's next 10 points. His third layup in that stretch gave Cleveland a 105-95 lead with 7:35 remaining.
J.R. Smith added 25 points for the Cavaliers, who evened the season series after losing 97-85 in Cleveland on Dec. 1.
"That was nuts," Smith said of Irving's finish.
"To be out months and still be able to come out there and shake and bake like he's doing is remarkable. I don't think there is any question who the real All Star is."
Garrett Temple scored 21 points for the Wizards, who have lost two straight and four of five since winning four in a row. John Wall had 20 points and 12 assists.
Temple was also quick to praise Irving
"Too much Kyrie," Temple said. "He was hitting some tough, tough shots."
Australia's Matthew Dellavedova had a quiet night for the Cavs, scoring just three points.
In Portland, L.A. Clippers star point guard Chris Paul turned on an electric display with a double-double that featured 21 points and a huge 19 assists, a season high for Paul as he led the Clippers to a 109-98 victory over the Trailblazers.
The win was the Clippers seventh straight, a streak that leads all teams right now and they have done it without injured forward Blake Griffin, who was again out with a torn quadriceps, missing his sixth straight game.
It was a weakened Portland side the Clippers beat after a clerical error cost the home team guard C.J McCollum, who was accidentally left off the team sheet.
And in San Antonio Patty Mills may have gone 0-4 on shooting but he got bragging rights over Boomers teammate Joe Ingles as the Spurs ran away with a 123-98 thumping.
Ingles won the personal battle for points though, dropping eight points from the bench in a game where Mills started in place of the rested Tony Parker.
