The Cavs(34-22) finished their quick two-game road trip in Washington against the Wizards(24-29. Cleveland led from start to finish and defeated Washington 114-91 on Monday night.
Cleveland had six players in double figures and led by as many as 28 points in this contest.
The Cavs have now won three straight.
Here’s the Great, Not So Great, and the Bottom Line of the Cavs’ win over the Wizards.
The Great:
The Cavs’ Starting Five:
Jarrett Allen had another strong performance as he was close to perfect from the field(10/13 FG), and he finished 23 points, eight rebounds, and two blocks.
Darius Garland scored 23 points, dished out five assists, and three steals.
Donovan Mitchell added 21 points, six rebounds, and five assists.
Evan Mobley had 16 points, five rebounds, and two blocks.
Isaac Okoro chipped in with 12 points, three rebounds, and two assists.
Defense: The Cavs brought it on the defensive end against the Wizards. They held the Wizards to 91 points and held Washington to 6/28(21%) from downtown.
First Half: Cleveland jumped on the Wizards early and cruised the rest of the way. The Cavs shot 63% from the field. All five Cavs’ starters scored in double figures in the first half. According to Elias Sports, this was the first time since 1997-98 that all five Cavs starters scored in double figures in the first half.
Shooting: The Cavs shot the ball at a high level. They shot 56% from the field and made 12 threes. They had no problems scoring and no issues getting to the basket. Cleveland had 58 points in the paint.
Not So Great:
Turnovers were high(17), but who cares? They won by 23 points.
Bottom Line:
Cleveland has looked good during their three-game winning streak, and yes, two of those games were against the Pacers and Wizards and a slumping Grizzlies team, but it’s how they are winning. They are sharing the ball and defending at a high level. Most importantly, they won these last two games on the road, and doing it on a back-to-back makes it even more impressive.
What’s Next:
Cleveland heads home to face the Pistons on Wednesday night.
Best of the Rest:
-Kristaps Porzingis led the Wizards with 18 points; Will Barton added 15 points.
-Cleveland is 16-1 when they hold their opponents under 100 points, and the Cavs are 11-3 when they have six-plus players score in double figures.
-Washington was without Bradley Beal(foot), and Kyle Kuzma(ankle).
