CLEVELAND — The Cleveland Cavaliers have some work to do in the second half after falling behind the Washington Wizards, 69-59, through two quarters Wednesday night. Washington scored 42 points in the opening quarter and maintained its advantage throughout the second.
The Cavaliers struggled to slow Washington's offense, particularly around the basket. Bilal Coulibaly scored on several dunks, while Anthony Davis, Alex Sarr, and Trae Young also contributed to the Wizards' first-half scoring.
Cleveland received a lift from Peyton Watson in the second quarter, including a three-pointer and a tip-in that cut Washington's lead to 63-57 with 3:29 remaining. However, the Wizards responded with six straight points to push their advantage back to 12 before Evan Mobley's dunk made it a 10-point game heading into halftime.
The Cavaliers will need a better defensive effort in the second half to complete the comeback. Washington has already scored 69 points, and Cleveland cannot afford to continue trading baskets while trailing by double digits.
