Cavaliers at Wizards
With the toughest remaining schedule of any Eastern Conference team, it's a good thing that Cleveland is playing its best basketball of the season. The challenge begins Friday when the Cavaliers begin a stretch of 11 of 14 games on the road when they visit the Washington Wizards. Nine of those 14 clubs currently sit among the top eight in their respective conferences and will provide a big obstacle for Cleveland stars Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love, who have never been part of a playoff push.
"They have never been in this situation where every game is meaningful. It is now," LeBron James told the Cleveland Plain Dealer. "It's going to set them up for the postseason, playing with a sense of urgency and understanding how important each game is." The Wizards, who limped into the break losing six of eight, are hoping an eight-day rest will get them back on track. Washington is struggling to score points, especially with shooting guard Bradley Beal missing the last three games with a mild stress reaction in his right leg and not expected to play Friday.
TV: 8 p.m. ET, ESPN, FSN Ohio (Cleveland), CSN Mid-Atlantic (Washington)
ABOUT THE CAVALIERS (33-22): Cleveland had won 14 of 15 prior to getting waxed 113-98 in Chicago on Feb. 12 despite 31 points from James, whose eight turnovers were turned into 15 points by the Bulls. Since returning from a knee injury that cost him 16 games, James is averaging 27.3 points, 6.7 assists and 6.2 rebounds. Kevin Love (17 points, 10.4 rebounds), who missed the Bulls game with an eye injury, is expected to play.
ABOUT THE WIZARDS (33-21): Washington went into the break with a 95-93 loss to Toronto, its sixth time in eight games it didn't reach 100 points during the skid. In an attempt to add more firepower, Washington acquired guard Ramon Sessions from the Sacramento Kings for underperforming veteran Andre Miller. Cleveland would leapfrog Washington for the fourth spot in the Eastern Conference with a win. “The Cavs are right there with us,” forward Paul Pierce told the Washington Post. “So every team is feeling do-or-die at this stage, especially the teams that are here in the playoffs who are trying to get home court here in the first round. So it’s got to be a big, huge sense of urgency.”
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Wizards PG John Wall leads the NBA in assists at 10.1 and is shooting a career-best 46 percent from the floor, but his go-ahead 3-point attempt at the buzzer against the Raptors was his 11th straight miss in go-ahead attempts with less than 24 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter or overtime.
2. Over the last two games against Chicago and Miami, Thompson and C Timofey Mozgov have combined to shoot 26-of-30 from the floor.
3. Against Chicago, James passed John Havlicek for second all-time in assists among forwards with 6,118, and he needs just 18 more to surpass Scottie Pippen for the all-time lead.