Washington Wizards: Three keys to victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers

3. Get help from the bench

Aside from Bradley Beal’s insane scoring stretch, the most interesting factor to watch over the last 10 games has been outstanding bench play.

With role players like Moritz Wagner returning from injury, Troy Brown Jr. being a spark plug, and Davis Bertans shooting a lights-out 43 percent from deep, the Wizards bench has been and must continue to be, a huge reason why the Wizards are in playoff contention.

Take their 114-96 trouncing of the New York Knicks, for example. In this matchup, the bench put up a combined 46 points, compared to the Knicks’ 33. A 16-point night from Davis Bertans and an 11 point, six-assist night from Troy Brown Jr. was exactly what Bradley Beal and the starters needed to ice this very winnable game.

The Wizards have played the Cavaliers twice this season. In the win, the Wizards bench outscored the Cavaliers bench. In the loss, they did not.

We know Bradley Beal is going to put up at least 20, if not 25 or 30 points. Rui Hachimura has the potential to take over a game and puts up solid numbers each night. But those two starting stars can only take the team so far.

If the Wizards bench can continue to successfully support the starters, the Cleveland Cavaliers won’t be the only team worried about the Wizards this season.