The Cleveland Cavaliers are back after a brief break in their schedule. They’ll return on the road in a flex game against the Washington Wizards. Thanks for that, NBA. We needed it.
Washington is having a rough season. They might be the worst defensive team in league history with an astounding 125.2 defensive rating that’s five points worse than the second-worst defense this season. That’s astounding. But one man’s pain is another’s pleasure. The Cavs really need a game to get right. This should be it.
Nothing is guaranteed in the NBA. The Wizards players aren’t trying to lose games, even if their front office is setting them up for failure. The Cavs will still have to show up, play hard, and earn this win in dominant fashion if they want to start feeling better about their current trajectory.
The Cavs are 4-6 over their last 10 games. A win tonight over the Wizards won’t fix everything. But a loss? Well, I don’t even want to think about that.
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Who: Cleveland Cavaliers (14-11) at. Washington Wizards (3-19)
Where: Capital One Arena — Washington, DC
When: Friday, Dec. 12 at 7 pm EST
TV: NBA TV, FanDuel Sports Network Ohio, FanDuel Sports App, NBA League Pass
Point spread: Cavs -14.5
Cavs’ injury report: Jarrett Allen – OUT (finger), Sam Merrill – OUT (hand), Larry Nance Jr. – OUT – (calf), Max Strus – OUT (foot), Luke Travers – OUT (G League)
Wizards injury report: Khris Middleton – OUT (knee), Alex Sarr – OUT (abductor), Corey Kispert – OUT (knee), Bilal Coulibaly – OUT (oblique), Malaki Branham – QUESTIONABLE (thumb)
Cavs expected starting lineup: Darius Garland, Donovan Mitchell, Jaylon Tyson, De’Andre Hunter, Evan Mobley
Wizards expected starting lineup:CJ McCollum, Bub Carrington, Justin Champagnie, Kyshawn George, Marvin Bagley III
Here’s a look at both teams’ impact stats via Cleaning the Glass.
