Wizards at Cavaliers
The last thing the struggling Washington Wizards need is a trip to the top team in the Eastern Conference, but that’s exactly what they’re going to get. The Wizards will try to snap a four-game slide when they visit the Cleveland Cavaliers on Tuesday.
Washington seemed to bottom out with a 111-78 loss at the Boston Celtics on Friday but suffered another crushing blow when Cory Joseph buried a buzzer-beating 3-pointer to give the Toronto Raptors an 84-82 win over the Wizards on Saturday. "We’ve got to cut the negativity that we have coming from players, coaches, staff, media. We just got to cut that," Wizards center Marcin Gortat told reporters. "It’s not even fun coming here anymore. It’s so much negativity.” The Cavaliers are not dealing with any negativity after five wins in the last six games and are 9-0 at home. Cleveland was on the good side of a last-second win on Saturday, when LeBron James tossed in a baby hook in the lane to knock off the Brooklyn Nets 90-88.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, NBATV, CSN Mid-Atlantic (Washington), FSN Ohio (Cleveland)
ABOUT THE WIZARDS (6-8): Gortat was blunt in his assessment of the team, which entered the season with big expectations but has struggled in a new offense that spreads the perimeter and leaves Gortat alone in the middle. “Everybody thought we’re going to go to conference finals and stuff like that,” Gortat told reporters. “We didn’t make any spectacular trades or signings in the offseason. It’s not like we’re supposed to be three times a much better team this year.” Gortat put up 16 points and 10 rebounds on Saturday for his second double-double in the last three games.
ABOUT THE CAVALIERS (13-4): Cleveland guard J.R. Smith scored in double figures in seven straight games before struggling to 3-of-12 from the field on Saturday, but he still provided a contribution with four blocks and three steals. “He’s making the effort at both ends of the court,” Cavaliers coach David Blatt told reporters of Smith. “He’s taking on challenges and really has given us good play. I’m not surprised. I know he’s capable of it. I know he’s willing to give us that and we needed that.” Smith is 1-of-9 from 3-point range in the last two games after knocking down at least three from beyond the arc in each of the previous five.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. The Cavaliers took the final three of the four meetings last season.
2. Washington G John Wall went 6-of-25 from the field in Saturday’s loss.
3. Cleveland F Kevin Love is shooting 57.5 percent from the field, including 55.3 percent from 3-point range, in the last five games.