This article was written by WTOP’s news partner, NBC Sports Washington. Sign up for NBC Sports Washington’s free email subscription today.
WASHINGTON — The Washington Wizards (21-28) are looking for their eighth win in the first 13 games of 2019, when they take on the Cleveland Cavaliers on the road Tuesday night.
Although the team’s last game ended with a 132-119 loss to the San Antonio Spurs on Sunday, the Wizards should be able to put away the Cavs if they continue shooting the way they have been recently and stay aggressive on defense.
The Cavaliers are 10-41 this season and dead last in the Eastern Conference. But one of those 10 victories this season was against Washington. The teams split their first two match-ups of the season, with the Wizards winning the first in November and Cleveland pulling out the win in December.
Here’s what you need to know about the Wizards-Cavaliers game:
What: Wizards at Cavaliers
Where: Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland
When: Tuesday, Jan. 29 at 7 p.m. ET
TV Channel: NBC Sports Washington
Stream online: NBC Sports Washington’s MyTeams App
Three things to know:
- It’s all about Brad: Bradley Beal has stepped up his game and is averaging 27.4 points per game in the Wizards’ last 10 match-ups, shooting 45.7 percent from the field. In the Wizards’ 95-91 win over the Orlando Magic on Friday, Beal’s attacking offense provided a spark for the team in the final minutes of the game.
- 2-18: That’s the Cavaliers’ record for the last 20 games, dating back to Dec. 19. But Cleveland enters Tuesday’s match-up coming off a 104-101 victory over the Chicago Bulls and is looking for only its second two-game win streak of the season.
- Shutting down Jordan Clarkson is key. The Cavaliers’ point guard is their leading scorer right now, averaging 16.5 points per game. If the Wizards’ defense can up its aggressiveness and keep Clarkson contained, they should have no problem winning this game. In Cleveland’s first two games against the Wizards, he averaged just eight points.
Quote of the week:
“We’re going to try and fight our [expletive] off right now and get into the playoffs,” Beal recently told NBC Sports Washington. “It’s just a matter of us getting it done.”
Stat to know:
In the Wizards’ first two games against the Cavaliers, Beal averaged more than 30 minutes and 23.5 points per game and shot 46.3 percent from the field.
Wizards-Cavaliers Series History: Wizards have a 111-105 advantage over the Cavs
Last meeting: Cavaliers won, 116-101, on Dec. 8.
MORE WIZARDS NEWS
- The Drought Continues: Wizards road woes continue in SA
- It Doesn’t Matter: ASG status not a concern to Beal
- NBA Mock Draft: New year, new mock draft
