The Washington Wizards locker room is always a quiet place to be after a tough loss, but it gets eerily solemn after games that shouldn’t have slipped away. This was the case on Friday night when the Wizards let an early 16-point lead turn into a 113-108 victory for the Cleveland Cavaliers.
In their first game after the All-Star break, the Wizards had high hopes of starting off strong in an effort to make a push for the playoffs. Quite frankly, they had every reason to believe they could lock-in a win at home following a period of much needed rest. Washington appeared to be well on their way to dominating the Cavaliers based on the first quarter where they outscored them 41-32. However, the Wizards were a different team moving forward.
“We started the game and the ball was flying around and we were making shots. Then we couldn’t make shots. Everything in the basket, we were scoring pretty well around the paint. We just couldn’t make any shots outside the paint tonight. Those last three quarters, I don’t think they were bad looks. I think some nights that’s going to happen. In the fourth quarter, actually the last three quarters, the ball just didn’t go in for us.”
Although the last three quarters were more challenging, the Wizards were able to keep the Cavaliers trailing throughout the game. Cleveland didn’t get their first lead until the 4th quarter with a little over six minutes left in regulation. That is when everything went downhill for Washington. At one point Davis Bertans, Thomas Bryant, and Ish Smith missed four back-to-back shot attempts after securing multiple rebounds to keep the play alive.
“We all competed at a high level, we just missed some shots we shouldn’t have,” Ish Smith said. “I’m kicking myself.”
“Down the stretch we were up by like 15 and they just came back,” Rui Hachimura said. “I think we can’t just let them do that. The defense…we were kind of relaxed.”
To further illustrate that point, Cleveland Guard Collin Sexton scored 14 of his 25 points in the fourth. Tristan Thompson who finished with 10 points and 11 rebounds was also a factor in the Cavaliers’ comeback.
“He [Tristan] brought that energy,” Sexton said. “He brought that energy from the start of the game to the end of the game. I feel like he was the one that got us over the hump, and pretty much got the win for us tonight.”
While Sexton and Thompson’s play elevated, Bradley Beal struggled late in the game, only adding eight points in the 4th quarter to his overall 34-point game.
“He was missing good looks,” Coach Brooks said. “Brad is one of the best scorers in the league, and he’s gonna have nights like this. He’s getting good looks and clean looks and scoring everything around the paint. He, like all of our guys tonight, couldn’t make anything outside the paint.”
Tristan Thompson talked about what was working well for the #Cavs in the 4th Q and said they were trying to make it hard for Bradley Beal. #Wizards @SportsJourney pic.twitter.com/rlyWEvD3LW
— Carita Parks (@CaritaCParks) February 22, 2020
The Wizards will try to turn things when they face the Chicago Bulls on the road this Sunday before returning to Capital One Arena on Monday for back-to-back home games against the Milwaukee Bucks and New Jersey Nets.