CLEVELAND – AJ Dybantsa’s first NBA possession ended at the foul line rather than the rim, but the message was clear. The Washington rookie drove past James Harden, drew contact from Jarrett Allen and made both free throws. Cleveland needed much longer to respond to the energy the No. 1 pick brought to his delayed debut.
The Cavaliers eventually erased a 13-point third-quarter deficit and beat the Wizards 121–111 at Rocket Arena on Wednesday, October 28. Evan Mobley scored 24 points, Peyton Watson added 22 and Donovan Mitchell finished with 19 as Cleveland won its third straight game.
Dybantsa led Washington with 19 points on 8-for-12 shooting in 27 minutes. His arrival gave the Wizards the aggressive wing they had been waiting to put alongside their established players, but it did not solve the late-game problem. Washington led 105–104 before Cleveland scored nine consecutive points to take control.
The result left two different assessments of the same night. Dybantsa looked comfortable attacking NBA defenders after missing four games with a sprained ankle. Washington, however, could not protect the advantage that his quick start helped create. Cleveland improved to 3–1, while the Wizards dropped to 2–3.
According to The Associated Press report carried by NBC Washington, Dybantsa’s 19 points were the most by a Washington rookie in his debut since Tom Gugliotta scored 20 against Charlotte in 1992. The total tied for the fourth-most in franchise history for a rookie’s first game. That comparison describes the scoring milestone, not a prediction about the season ahead.
Dybantsa said he was trying to be aggressive immediately, explaining, “I wanted my first basket to be a dunk so bad.” His opening drive nearly delivered it before Allen’s foul, just 16 seconds into the game. He eventually got the finish he wanted when Trae Young found him for an alley-oop with 8:56 left in the first quarter, giving Washington an 11–6 lead.
He scored nine first-quarter points. AP cited Sportradar’s finding that it was the highest opening-quarter total by a Wizards rookie in a debut since at least 1996–97. Dybantsa also had two rebounds, two assists and two turnovers, numbers that keep his production in proportion rather than reducing the appearance to its most memorable dunk.
Washington’s draft-lottery victory and pursuit of Dybantsa had made his arrival a focal point well before opening night. The ankle injury prolonged that wait. NBA.com’s availability announcement confirmed he had missed the first four games before being cleared Wednesday.
Coach Brian Keefe said 27 minutes was about the range Washington wanted. He praised Dybantsa’s ability to reach the basket, make simple reads and remain active defensively, calling it impressive for a first game. The account did not establish a fixed minutes limit for his next appearance, and one productive night does not resolve how Washington will manage his workload after the ankle injury.
Anthony Davis, who scored 18 points, said he told the rookie not to overthink his debut and to enjoy it. Davis described him as calm and collected, while acknowledging that a victory would have made the occasion better. Dybantsa’s family traveled to Cleveland, and he said his nerves eased once the first free throws went in.
Cleveland’s answer came from a player whose perimeter shooting changed the shape of the game. Mobley made a career-high five 3-pointers and scored 10 points in the fourth quarter. Yahoo Sports’ game account recorded 12 rebounds and 5-for-6 shooting from beyond the arc. His production gave the Cavaliers more than a way to trade baskets with Washington’s early offense.
Watson supplied another scoring source, finishing with six rebounds alongside his 22 points. His arrival from Denver was one of the changes identified in Cleveland’s preseason roster and training-camp plans. On Wednesday, the new wing’s contribution mattered in a game Cleveland could not win by relying only on its familiar backcourt names.
The Wizards scored 42 points in the first quarter and led 69–59 at halftime. Cleveland answered with a 33–23 third quarter to make it 92–92, then won the fourth 29–19. Across the second half, that was a 62–42 advantage. The quarter scores show where the result changed: Washington’s early pace did not survive Cleveland’s adjustment.
Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson acknowledged that his team initially treated Washington like an older, weaker version of the Wizards. “We could have been down 20 easy,” he told AP, adding that Cleveland turned things around in the second half and respected the opponent properly. That admission gave the comeback a more specific explanation than simply pointing to the rookie’s inexperience.
Washington also disclosed that Justin Champagnie had surgery to repair a fracture in his right foot, an injury sustained against Charlotte on Monday. The team did not provide a return timetable. The Wizards finally had their No. 1 pick on the floor, but their roster was not suddenly free of availability questions.
Allen’s assessment of Dybantsa was generous: the rookie attacked the basket, scored in the midrange and defended well. For Washington, that was a useful first answer after the ankle delay. The harder answer remained on the scoreboard, where a one-point fourth-quarter advantage became nine unanswered Cleveland points.
