NBA 2019-20: Washington Wizards lose to Cleveland Cavaliers after All-Star break
The Washington Wizards lost 108-113 to the Cleveland Cavaliers in their first game back after the All-Star break.
After leading throughout the game tonight, the Wizards allowed the Cavaliers to have their first lead of the game with five minutes left in the 4th quarter. While part of that could be attributed to the officiating crew tonight, the Wizards couldn't make a good shot in the 4th quarter.
The Cavaliers took advantage of this and pushed through, despite several attempts made by the likes of Thomas Bryant, Davis Bertans and Ish Smith to make a bucket. You could see guard Bradley Beal upset with the referees tonight, but nothing much can be done now.
On that note, here is an analysis of the Wizards' Friday night loss.
Beal scores 26 points
Coming off a snub from the All-Star game, Beal scored 26 points tonight against the Cavaliers. He certainly wasn't efficient though, going 9-28 FG, 7-9 3PT, and1-10 3PT, probably due to the rust after the long break he had.
Beal added three rebounds, one assist and three steals, but could not help the Wizards win the game. Wizards fans would be hoping Beal puts this loss behind him and focuses on the game ahead.
Hachimura scores 17 after playing for Team World
Rookie Rui Hachimura didn't exactly have a long break like Beal, as he was selected to Team World during the All-Star break. While he and Mortiz Wagner lost to Team USA, Hachimura was not rusty at all.
Tonight, he scored 17 points with 7 rebounds and 3 assists. He went 7-13 FG, 2-2 FT, and 1-3 3PT.
Going up against the likes of Cavaliers' Andre Drummond, Hachimura certainly played well for his part. In the second half however, he lacked the composure required to seal the deal for his team.
Nonetheless, Hachimura will certainly hope he can continue to perform like this every night.
What's next?
The Wizards will travel to Chicago to face the Bulls on Sunday. Tune in at 7 PM ET.