Washington drops eleventh-straight game, falls to 9-48 on the season.
Following a pair of blowout losses to begin the second half of the season, Brian Keefe and the Washington Wizards returned home to face the surging Cleveland Cavaliers.
Washington entered the contest losers of ten-straight games and winless in the month of February. With Deni Avdija out for a second-consecutive game with a left heel contusion, Landry Shamet started in his place alongside Tyus Jones, Bilal Coulibaly, Kyle Kuzma and Marvin Bagley III. Jordan Poole came off the bench once again. Corey Kispert was a late scratch due to a non-covid illness.
The Wizards fell to the Cavaliers, 114-105.
First Quarter
Bilal Coulibaly came out aggressively, driving to the hoop on consecutive possessions to sink a floater and draw a foul. Marvin Bagley III also introduced himself to the action, taking it to Evan Mobley’s chest for an and-1.
A wild moment occurred when Coulibaly took off from the free throw line and tried to end Max Strus with a poster dunk. Strus was set, however, and took the charge, sending Coulibaly tumbling to the ground. Coulibaly may have been whistled for a foul, but was able to show off the athleticism that made him a lottery pick. Unfortantely, Coulibaly landed on his backside and would not return to the game due to a right pelvis injury.
Kyle Kuzma scored 11 of the Wizards first 16 points on a perfect 5-5 shooting to maintain an early advantage. Then, his friend Jordan Poole entered the game and made his presence known, sinking a pair of triples. Richaun Holmes even got in on the fun, catching an alley-oop pass from Tyus Jones to convert the layup plus the foul.
In a quarter dominated by Kyle Kuzma, Washington led after one, 31-27.
Second Quarter
Brian Keefe rewarded some young guys with minutes to begin the second frame. Washington’s starting group consisted of Jordan Poole running the point alongside Johnny Davis, Jared Butler Jr. and Patrick Baldwin Jr.
Poole had perhaps his best sequence of the night when he hustled back in transition, stripped Mobley clean for the steal, then ran the break to find Landry Shamet for a three. Right after that, Johnny Davis made his presence known. Davis received a pass in the corner, jab-stepped his defender to create space, then drove middle to sink a fadeaway jumper for his first points of the night.
The Wizards opened up an eight-point lead, but couldn’t hold Cleveland’s scorers down for too long. Mobley and Allen turned it on to bring the Cavs back, recapturing the lead. Jordan Poole knocked down a pair of tough buckets to finish the half with 17 points, but Cleveland remained ahead at halftime, 55-54.
Third Quarter
The Cavaliers spammed a one-five pick & roll to begin the half, primarily because the Wizards had no answer. Mitchell got going and then started finding Mobley at the rim en route to a 13-7 Cavs run.
Kuzma did his best to keep close, finishing strong for an and-1 layup. Jared Butler Jr. also provided some nice minutes, but it was Cleveland who entered the final frame with a lead, 87-80.
Fourth Quarter
Jordan Poole ignited to begin the final quarter, hitting three-straight threes en route to a personal 11-0 run. Washington took its first lead since early in the third quarter, 91-88, prompting a cavaliers timeout.
The run didn’t stop there though, as Poole drilled a side-step fadeaway three with the shot-clock winding down, making it 14 points across a two minute stretch for No. 13.
Darius Garland saw Poole’s shotmaking and raised him two threes of his own, tying the game at 94. The Cavs proceeded to go on a 16-3 run after Washington opened a six-point lead.
Despite a fourth-quarter rally by Washington, Cleveland’s late-game execution secured them a hard-fought victory in D.C.