After prevailing in a clash between the NBA’s top two teams, the Cleveland Cavaliers will aim to avoid a letdown when they host the struggling Washington Wizards in NBA Cup play on Tuesday.
Donovan Mitchell scored 20 of his 35 points in the fourth quarter to lift the Cavaliers to a 115-111 win over the Boston Celtics on Sunday. The victory improved Cleveland’s record to an NBA-best 18-3 this season, while the Celtics fell to 16-4.
Now, Cleveland faces a different challenge against the NBA-worst Wizards, who are enduring a 14-game losing streak. Washington is just two defeats away from matching its franchise-record losing streak of 16 games.
The Wizards have lost their last nine meetings against Cleveland, who began the season with 15 consecutive victories, tying for the second-best start to a season in NBA history.
The Cavaliers avenged their first loss of the season to Boston with an impressive win on Sunday. Darius Garland scored 22 points for Cleveland, which managed to hold the Celtics to 40 percent shooting from the field despite an inconsistent offensive performance.
Mitchell broke out of a mini-shooting slump in the fourth quarter, making all six of his shots, including four three-pointers.
While the rebuilding Wizards lack a dominant scorer like Mitchell, coach Brian Keefe has been encouraged by the development of rookie center Alex Sarr.
Sarr has started all 18 games and recorded multiple blocks in 10 contests. Keefe was particularly pleased with how the 7-footer matched up against Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo in Saturday’s 124-114 loss to Milwaukee.
Keefe is also monitoring the status of forward Kyle Kuzma, who missed Saturday’s game due to a sprained left rib.
One bright spot for the Wizards has been the play of guard Jordan Poole, who scored 31 points in the loss. Poole has made at least one three-pointer in 46 consecutive games dating back to last season.
Although the Wizards have lost by at least 15 points in 11 of their 16 defeats, Poole believes the team’s growing pains are expected with so many young players on the roster.
