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After dispatching Dallas and Miami the Cavs’ road trip continues as they head up the east coast like a hurricane for a rematch of their Nov. 10 loss to the Wizards in Cleveland. The Cavs lost 97-94 despite having a four-point lead with 30 seconds to go when Kyle Kuzma nailed two 3-pointers and Ricky Rubio missed a key free throw.
Kuzma was 4-for-4 from deep in the fourth quarter and the Wizards were 17-for-17 on free throws while the Cavs missed six.
The Cavaliers were playing without Markkanen and Love while the Wizards were without Davis Bertans, who scored 15 in their last game. Wade and Osman are still out for the Cavs. Those two combined for only 12 points in 57 minutes in the first game, so the Cavs should be better with Love and Mark.
The Wizards are 14-8, but after starting 10-3 their record is only 4-5 in the last nine games. They lost to New Orleans (6-18) by 27 points, San Antonio (7-13) by 17, Charlotte twice ((13-11), and split with Miami (13-9). The Wizards are 8-2 at home and 6-6 on the road.
Their coach recently said he is frustrated with the team’s inconsistency. They play at a high level in some games but other times get hammered by bad teams. There doesn't seem to be an obvious reason for their recent struggles.
There are only six teams in the NBA (besides Washington) that are more than two games over .500. The Wizards are 2-2 against them.
In the first game against the Cavs the Wizards had 12 offensive rebounds. The Cavs need to do a better job on the defensive glass this time around. Having Love and Marky should help.
The Cavs need to contain backup center Montrezl Harrell who burned them for 22 points and 11 rebounds in 26 minutes, including five offensive rebounds. Harrell scored 27 points two nights ago against Minnesota. He is a force in the paint and the Cavs need to get a body on him because if he catches you rim watching when the shot goes up he’ll blow by you for the put back.
The Cavs did a great job on Bradley Beal, holding him to 4-for-19, and Caldwell-Pope was 1-for-8. I expect both of them to shoot better tonight. The Wizards start three guards in Beal, KCP, and Spencer Dinwiddie, a 6’6” point guard who had 11 points, 10 rebounds, and 6 assists in the first game.
As a team the Wizards are 20th in scoring, but 3rd in points in the paint. Over 47% of their points are in the paint. The are second to last in percentage of points from 3’s - they don’t shoot many and they only hit 32%, ranking 27th in 3-point accuracy.
On paper the Cavs should match up well because they have the height to prevent scoring in the paint and are coming off a game where they blocked 14 shots. Now that they have Allen, Mobley, and Marky they should give the Wizards more problems in the paint.
The Wizards are above average in scoring defense, ranking 12th. They are only 25th in points allowed in the paint, however, so the Cavs should be able to score inside. The Wizards are last in forcing turnovers which helps the Cavs, who are among the worst in turnover percentage (29th to be exact).
Opponents attempt fewer 3’s against the Wizards than any other team. The Wizards defend the 3 very well, ranking 8th in that category. The combination of the Wizards’ strong perimeter defense and weaker interior defense means teams don’t take many 3’s against them. In the first game the Cavs only hit 29% of their 3’s.
So there it is - the Cavs need to protect the rim, force the Wizards to shoot from outside, and keep Harrell off the offensive glass. He had 5 of their 12 offensive boards the last game. Offensively the Cavs should attack the rim and lay off shooting 3’s unless they have a wide open look. If Kevin Love can have another 6-for-8 game that would help.
The Wizards have been very good at home so this shapes up as a tough game to win, but with Love and Marky back and the Wizards' recent inconsistency the opportunity for a W is there. It might depend on which Wizards' team shows up.
Ricky Rubio is really struggling, making only 18 of his last 69 shots (26.1%) over his last six games. It would be great if he can get back to normal. I’m starting to wonder if something is wrong physically.
Kuzma was 4-for-4 from deep in the fourth quarter and the Wizards were 17-for-17 on free throws while the Cavs missed six.
The Cavaliers were playing without Markkanen and Love while the Wizards were without Davis Bertans, who scored 15 in their last game. Wade and Osman are still out for the Cavs. Those two combined for only 12 points in 57 minutes in the first game, so the Cavs should be better with Love and Mark.
The Wizards are 14-8, but after starting 10-3 their record is only 4-5 in the last nine games. They lost to New Orleans (6-18) by 27 points, San Antonio (7-13) by 17, Charlotte twice ((13-11), and split with Miami (13-9). The Wizards are 8-2 at home and 6-6 on the road.
Their coach recently said he is frustrated with the team’s inconsistency. They play at a high level in some games but other times get hammered by bad teams. There doesn't seem to be an obvious reason for their recent struggles.
There are only six teams in the NBA (besides Washington) that are more than two games over .500. The Wizards are 2-2 against them.
In the first game against the Cavs the Wizards had 12 offensive rebounds. The Cavs need to do a better job on the defensive glass this time around. Having Love and Marky should help.
The Cavs need to contain backup center Montrezl Harrell who burned them for 22 points and 11 rebounds in 26 minutes, including five offensive rebounds. Harrell scored 27 points two nights ago against Minnesota. He is a force in the paint and the Cavs need to get a body on him because if he catches you rim watching when the shot goes up he’ll blow by you for the put back.
The Cavs did a great job on Bradley Beal, holding him to 4-for-19, and Caldwell-Pope was 1-for-8. I expect both of them to shoot better tonight. The Wizards start three guards in Beal, KCP, and Spencer Dinwiddie, a 6’6” point guard who had 11 points, 10 rebounds, and 6 assists in the first game.
As a team the Wizards are 20th in scoring, but 3rd in points in the paint. Over 47% of their points are in the paint. The are second to last in percentage of points from 3’s - they don’t shoot many and they only hit 32%, ranking 27th in 3-point accuracy.
On paper the Cavs should match up well because they have the height to prevent scoring in the paint and are coming off a game where they blocked 14 shots. Now that they have Allen, Mobley, and Marky they should give the Wizards more problems in the paint.
The Wizards are above average in scoring defense, ranking 12th. They are only 25th in points allowed in the paint, however, so the Cavs should be able to score inside. The Wizards are last in forcing turnovers which helps the Cavs, who are among the worst in turnover percentage (29th to be exact).
Opponents attempt fewer 3’s against the Wizards than any other team. The Wizards defend the 3 very well, ranking 8th in that category. The combination of the Wizards’ strong perimeter defense and weaker interior defense means teams don’t take many 3’s against them. In the first game the Cavs only hit 29% of their 3’s.
So there it is - the Cavs need to protect the rim, force the Wizards to shoot from outside, and keep Harrell off the offensive glass. He had 5 of their 12 offensive boards the last game. Offensively the Cavs should attack the rim and lay off shooting 3’s unless they have a wide open look. If Kevin Love can have another 6-for-8 game that would help.
The Wizards have been very good at home so this shapes up as a tough game to win, but with Love and Marky back and the Wizards' recent inconsistency the opportunity for a W is there. It might depend on which Wizards' team shows up.
Ricky Rubio is really struggling, making only 18 of his last 69 shots (26.1%) over his last six games. It would be great if he can get back to normal. I’m starting to wonder if something is wrong physically.
