The Cleveland Cavaliers are coming off one of their best game of the season. It wasn’t a massive blowout against the Philadelphia 76ers, but the return of Darius Garland and Jarrett Allen sure showed just how badly they were needed.
Now it is time for them to head to D.C. for their second NBA Cup game.
Cleveland (5-3) had their offense looking more like it did last year in Garland’s return. He didn’t have a spectacular game, but you can still tell that him being on the court makes things easier for Donovan Mitchell. He finished the game with 46 points and hit six threes, he thanked a “fan” for that performance as well.
Allen’s return was also beneficial to Evan Mobley as he could play this new role without having to worry about also being the paint beast. These four players work so well together and if they stay healthy, it could be yet another successful regular season for the Cavs.
The Washington Wizards (1-7) are in another poor performing season. The bright spot however is that Alex Sarr’s development is seemingly going well. He is now leading the team in scoring with 19 points per game and eight rebounds.
They are bringing a six game losing streak into this game and carry the worst defense in the league right now. Coach Brian Keefe is looking for more players to step up beyond Sarr and Kyshawn George if they want any chances of having a winning season.
Last season the Cavaliers went 4-0 against the Wizards and have a great record over the past few years.
Channel: FanDuel Sports Network – Ohio
Time: 7:00 p.m.
Wizards: Bilal Coulibaly (leg) is out.
Cavaliers: Max Strus (foot) is out. Lonzo Ball (injury management) is out. Dean Wade (eye) is out. De’Andre Hunter (illness) is probable.
Probable Starting Lineups
Wizards
Cavaliers
Odds: Cavaliers by 13.5
O/U: 241.5
Cavaliers 130 , Wizards 110: The Cavaliers have no reason to go into this game and struggle. They have gotten some of their best players back from injury and are now in a good spot to have a positive rest of the season. The Wizards should not be making this a close game for the Cavs.
If it is even a close game, that should be considered a loss for the Cavaliers. They are much better than this Wizards team. If during this game the Cavaliers are struggling to hit shots, they can still win the game by just playing slow and taking advantage of their poor defense.
Cavaliers 2025-2026 Schedule
