Instant Analysis: Wizards-Cavaliers

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

By Brian Jackson
CSNwashington.com

Hot Start, Sub Zero Finish:

One of the keys going into the game was getting off to a good start and taking the raucous crowd at Quicken Loans Arena out of the game.  Mission accomplished--to a point.  Wizards came in averaging 108 points per game and after shooting 55 percent from the field in the first quarter it seemed as if they were well on their way.  Caron Butler was chomping at the straw to get back to action, after missing the home opener against New Jersey.  He was very aggressive from the tip and scored 13 points in the opening.  Gilbert Arenas sported a brace on his left knee for the first time this season but it didn’t slow him down one bit.  After the first quarter his box score read 10 points, 3 assist, and 4 rebounds.  The Wizards used a 24-5 run to take a commanding 18-point lead with 9 minutes left in the first half.  

The Diesel Had A Full Tank Of Gas:

Then things headed south, way south and in a hurry.  A lot of that had to do with Cleveland’s massive pickup this summer.   Shaquille O’Neal (season high 21 points) absolutely dominated the paint and got the Wizards bigs in early foul trouble.   Brendan Haywood fouled out, JaVale McGee had four fouls in 11 minutes, Andray Blatche was largely ineffective in 25 minutes of play and he also picked up four fouls.  Meanwhile Shaq had a feast down low.  He made seven of his nine shot attempts and even knocked down seven of ten free throws.  With the Wizards bigs in foul trouble the lane became wide open for the Cavaliers, which leads to my next point.

Cleveland Let It Fly:

If you looked at the box score and saw that the Wizards held the Cavs to 42 percent shooting overall you would think they had a solid defensive outing.  That’s until you notice they also allowed the Cavs to shoot slightly over 42 percent from the land of three.  Mo Williams and Daniel Gibson are at their best when they stand along beyond the arc and fire away from deep.  The two combined to shoot 7 of 9 from three.  The Cavs made nine 3-pointers in the second half and used a 10-0 run in the third quarter to take control of the game.  

Wizards = Iron Unkind:

While the Cavs seemingly didn’t miss an open jumper in the 2nd half the Wizards couldn’t buy a bucket.   You need to look no further than the box score to figure out why.  The Cavs bested the Wizards in assists (25-12) and points in the paint (40-22).  After that hot start--55 percent in the first quarter--the Wizards would shoot just 33 percent the rest of the way.  

The Rivalry, Or Lack There Of, Lacked Any Sizzle:

Both teams (outside of DeShawn Stevenson) tried to downplay the rivalry.  The only somewhat chippy moment was when Stevenson got flattened by Shaq on a drive in the first half.   That play got the 20, 562 on hand at the Q out of their seats but that was about it.  The two teams will reconvene two weeks from now (November 18th) when the scene shifts to Washington and Antawn Jamison could be back from a separated right shoulder.