The Washington Wizards were outclassed from the opening tip on Wednesday in a 138-113 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers at Rocket Arena.
The Wiz were outscored 23-5 in the opening five minutes as the Cavs got a sizzling shooting night from Donovan Mitchell and especially Sam Merrill, who combined for 15 of those early points. Kyshawn George kept the team afloat with his 13 points in the first quarter as Washington trailed 40-24 entering the second. George got to the line at will, drawing and making 8 free throws.
Sharife Cooper made his presence felt in Q2. He hit three triples and scored all 11 of his points in the period. The Wizards didn’t make much headway, however, as Merrill stayed blazing hot. The Cavaliers sharpshooter went 9-of-9 from the field and 7-of-7 from beyond the arc for 26 points before halftime, keeping Washington behind 76-61.
The Wizards made things interesting to start the second half. George and Bilal Coulibaly led the team to a 12-2 run to get the good guys as close as 78-73. Bub Carrington found his offense midway through the third quarter, sinking middies on three straight possessions.
The Cavs kept the Wiz at bay with a 10-2 run to end the third, taking a 109-89 lead into the final period. Washington waved the white flag in the fourth quarter, fielding a full-on bench lineup to close out the game.
George paced the Wizards with 17 points, but it was Jamir Watkins who surprisingly led the team with 16 shot attempts. The rookie scored 16 points and made a pair of three-pointers. Jaden Hardy tallied 11 points off the bench in his debut.
Tre Johnson and Will Riley both struggled to find their strokes, combining for 14 points on 5-of-25 shooting.
The Wizards enter the All-Star break with a 14-39 record. Next up is a back-to-back set with the 15-40 Indiana Pacers that carries serious draft lottery implications.