The Wizards hosted a talented Cavaliers team at Capital One Arena on Monday night. With Bradley Beal and Kyle Kuzma sidelined with injuries, the Wizards couldn't keep pace with the Cavs' dynamic offense. Final score: 114-91.
The Cavs entered Monday night's contest as the best defensive team in the NBA, allowing a league-low 106.8 points per game. For context, the lowest-scoring team in the NBA (Miami), averages 108.5 points per game. That means the Cavs consistently hold their opponents to a lower point total than the lowest-scoring team drops per game.
With no Beal or Kuzma -- the Wizards' two best offensive creators -- the door was opened for the Cavs' defense to assert its dominance. Led by interior stalwarts Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen, the defensive prowess was on full display in Washington, and when the Wizards were able to crack the defense and generate open looks, they struggled to knock them down efficiently, shooting a rough 1-of-14 from deep in the first half.
"We missed a lot of shots that I really thought were good looks," said Wizards head coach Wes Unseld Jr. "We gotta ink ourselves on the defensive side. Dig in even more in those moments where we're just not getting in a rhythm on offense."
On the other side of the floor, Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland were controlling the pace of the game, while Mobley and Allen finished nearly everything around the basket. At the end of the first quarter, the Cavs up were up 37-25, and they never looked back. The lead would stay in double digits for the remainder of the game.
"These guys came to play right away," said Kristaps Porzingis. "They were the first ones to punch us."
All five of the Cavs' starters were in double digits by halftime. When the final horn sounded, Allen and Garland each had 23 points on a combined 19-of-28 shooting from the field. Mitchell and Mobley were right behind them with 21 and 16, respectively.
For Washington, Porzingis led the way, dropping 18 points on 7-of-13 shooting from the field to go along with seven boards, one assist, and one block in 26 minutes of action. Will Barton also provided a nice spark, scoring 15 points on 6-of-12 shooting while also grabbing six boards.
The Wizards will be back in action Wednesday evening when the Hornets come to the DMV.