WASHINGTON: The Cavaliers didn't just lose Thursday night.

They lost so badly they got the Washington Wizards back into this first-round NBA playoff series.

In fact, the Cavs couldn't have done a better job of allowing the Wizards back into things.

On Monday, all of Cleveland howled at winning a playoff game by a franchise-record 30 points. On Thursday in the Verizon Center, the Cavs lost by 36 — another franchise record.

Yuck.

As good as the Cavs were in Game 2, they were that bad in Game 3.

Pathetic, in fact.

Especially in the first half, when the Wizards firmly took control of the game.

The Cavs had 15 turnovers in that first half. Nine of those were steals by the Wizards.

No team is going to win with 15 turnovers and six assists in one half. And that's what the Cavs did.

Give the Cavs credit; they did a lot of things poorly.

Bad shots.

Bad defense.

Bad everything.

The Wizards are not an inside team, but they scored 30 points inside (that's ''in the paint'' in modern terminology) in the first half alone.

Reruns of Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. were probably more compelling.

The Wizards, meanwhile, proved what most felt was true all along: If they just played basketball, they would be a
formidable team.

They did, and they were.

It would take a debate among Randy, Paula and Simon to figure why the Wizards didn't play this way from the get-go.

Now it's time for the Cavs to take a deep breath.

They won one game at home when they made some shots down the stretch and the Wizards didn't. The Cavs then had a blowout win, which the Wizards followed with a blowout win.

All this puts the series right where it ought to be — both teams won at home — with Game 4 coming up. That means the Cavs still have a chance to take command of the series heading back to Cleveland.

They'll sure have to change their approach and their play if they hope to succeed.

The Wizards were that much better in Game 3. And they did it with Gilbert Arenas contributing next to nothing.

Arenas started but was out of the game before halftime with what was described as a bone bruise.

No matter.

Wizards coach Eddie Jordan had his team ready.

The Wizards pressured the Cavs guards, and they did not respond. Delonte West and Daniel Gibson combined for eight turnovers and three assists.

In the second quarter, Jordan used Andray Blatche and Brendan Haywood together. They proved very effective.

Jordan had Caron Butler finally taking advantage of Wally Szczerbiak. And he even had DeShawn Stevenson making 3-pointers and waving his hand in front of his face for good reason — his team was ahead and he was contributing.

Stevenson was doing some major celebrating after baskets in the second half, with his hand-in-the-face wave and other gyrations.

The crowd tried to boo every time LeBron James had the ball, but that seemed as relevant as emptying a bucket of water in the ocean.

The Wizards merely outplayed the Cavs.

They put the shenanigans on the shelf and just played basketball. They didn't try any ridiculous fouls, didn't clobber anyone unnecessarily. They ran their motion offense, and won the game going away.

In Game 2, the Cavs could laugh when they made fun of Stevenson. In Game 3, the Wizards were laughing when Antawn Jamison missed an easy dunk.

In the third quarter, Butler poked the ball loose from James as he went up for a jump shot, then took off for a dunk.

That play was the video for the kind of night it was for the Cavs.

The Cavs must ask themselves not why they lost, but why they played so poorly.

It's one thing to lose. It's another to get blown out when you've got a chance to grab a series by the throat.

They can come back, but it sure is disappointing to see a team go from so high to so low in one game.

All the talk of a sweep and going to Boston can stop.

It was premature anyway.

The Cavs had won two games, but in a seven-game series the home team is supposed to win the first two games. Maybe being embarrassed will be a good thing. Get it over with and out of the system. There is, after all, another game in the same venue two days hence.

And if he wishes, James can keep the image of Stevenson's celebrations in his mind — although he smiled and got a charge out of a question about a ''DeShawn-LeBron rivalry.''

In the third quarter, the crowd chanted ''overrated'' at James as he shot a free throw, a bit of a humorous touch from folks wearing white T-shirts. The fans repeated the chant when James went to the bench in the fourth quarter with about four minutes left.

Overrated?

Guess we'll find out how James feels about that Sunday.