Washington Wizards Three Takeaways: John Wall, Wizards Dominate Cleveland Cavaliers

Washington Wizards, led by John Wall’s MVP-like performance, dominated the Cleveland Cavaliers on the road on Saturday night.

Much has been made about teams resting their starters in preparation for the NBA Playoffs, but on Saturday night in Cleveland, the Washington Wizards faced a healthy and deep Cavaliers team on the second game of a back-to-back.

Washington had all the excuses in the world. They were on the road, coming off a victory in D.C. the day prior. There would’ve been reason for the team to come out flat.

But the way the team opened up, a casual spectator might’ve thought Washington hasn’t played in weeks.

Right from the start, the Wizards pressured the Cavaliers, forcing turnovers which led to transition baskets.

Washington carried their confidence from Friday’s win over Brooklyn, taking every shot without hesitation.

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Quickly, the team gained a double-digit lead.

We’ve become accustomed to seeing the Wizards let their foot off the gas pedal, but it was different against Cleveland. They pushed Cleveland, even when the Cavaliers found a rhythm of their own.

The Wizards controlled the game for the entire 48 minutes, getting their most impressive victory of the season, 127-115.

It’s Wall’s world

LeBron James is unequivocally the best player in the world and has been for quite some time. But on Saturday, he took a back seat to John Wall.

Wall took it upon himself to carry the Washington Wizards’ offense in the first quarter, making all 8 of his field goal tries, scoring 18 points.

He drove to the basket in traffic, finishing without any resistance at the rim. When the Cavaliers gave him space, letting him shoot the perimeter shot, Wall rose up and knocked the jumpers down.

Wall found an untouchable rhythm. It seemed like whatever he threw up would go in. The most impressive part of his performance was that he allowed the offense to come to him. He never forced up an ill-advised shot, even when he was hot.

Wall scored 37 points and dished out 11 assists on the night. He treated it like a playoff game and dominated his matchup against Kyrie Irving, who scored 23 points on 23 shots.

Beal is fearless

When he first entered the league, Bradley Beal was timid – sometimes even unsure of himself. But his demeanor has changed.

He’s carried himself like he’s the best player on the court and it’s translated to a breakout season.

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Beal, like his backcourt mate, attacked the Cavaliers, never settling for outside shots. He took his opponent off the dribble, whether it was a big that got switched onto him or his primary defender.

In the fourth quarter, when the Cavaliers were making a run, Beal took LeBron off the dribble, drawing a foul and subsequently sinking two free throws.

Saturday’s game was a microcosm of the growth in Beal’s game. He made threes, got to the free throw line 7 times, hit step back jump shots and created looks for himself inside.

Beal scored 27 points to go alongside 6 assists. His offensive growth has taken pressure off Wall, giving the Wizards another legitimate star to carry the load.

Hello, Kelly

Kelly Oubre is in a weird position, as most 21-year-olds are. He’s still in the process of finding himself as a basketball player. He has a tendency to do too much, making it difficult for Scott Brooks to trust him.

But lately, Oubre has found his niche as the team’s pest – someone they could rely on for steals, perimeter defense and energy on the opposite end.

Oubre, for all his faults, isn’t afraid of any matchup. He accepted his assignments against LeBron and continued to do what he does: irritate the opposition and find ways to score.

Oubre scored 16 points off the bench, making 7 of his 8 shot attempts – almost all of which came in the paint from offensive rebounds. Oubre snatched 7 rebounds on the night, scoring multiple putback dunks to seal the victory for the Washington Wizards.

Bojan Bogdanovic missed the game due to back soreness, so Brooks needed to count on Oubre. He got a lot more production than he expected, I’m sure.

Next: Why the Wizards Could Get To the NBA Finals

Washington will continue their road trip on Tuesday night against the struggling Los Angeles Lakers. A win over the Cavaliers in the regular season might be just another win in the books, but the Wizards have gained legitimate momentum before the NBA Playoffs.