Beal stars as Wizards beat Cavs; Echenique becomes first Colombian NBA player

Bradley Beal had 29 points and 10 assists in his return from the NBA’s health and safety protocols, and the Washington Wizards beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 110-93 on Thursday night.

Beal, in his first game action in 12 days, shot 13 of 23 from the floor in 34 minutes. Washington (18-17) avoided falling below .500 for the first time this season.

Jamie Echenique became the first Colombian to play in the league after replacing Beal in the final minutes in the fourth quarter.

The Wizards signed Echenique to a 10-day contract under the NBA's COVID-related hardship exception.

Kyle Kuzma had 25 points and 10 rebounds for Washington, which shot 45 of 90 from the floor (50%) and committed only eight turnovers. The Wizards seized the lead for good midway through the second quarter.

Kevin Love had 24 points and 11 rebounds for Cleveland in its first game since losing point guard Ricky Rubio for the season with a torn left ACL. Evan Mobley added 21 points as Cleveland lost consecutive games for the first time since Dec. 5-6.