A forgettable season got a little worse for the Washington Wizards on Sunday with a 114-105 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers. Jarrett Allen scored 22 points and brought down 12 rebounds for Cleveland.
Deni Avdija (heel contusion) and Corey Kispert (illness) both missed the game. Bilal Coulibaly, Washington’s first-round pick in 2023, left the game in the first quarter with a pelvis contusion.
The Frenchman soared into the air for a dunk attempt before losing control of the ball and landing awkwardly on the hardwood. He was also called for a charge on the play.
“I’m glad he’s OK,” teammate Jordan Poole said. “But in hindsight, I think we all love how aggressive he is. Now he’s coming into his own, knowing how athletic he is.”
With several key players missing, veterans Poole and Kyle Kuzma tried to keep Washington in the game. Poole scored 31 points off the bench in the losing effort — Kuzma added 27 points as the pair combined to attempt 45 of Washington’s 90 shots.
Poole said serving as the primary ballhandler late in Sunday’s game allowed him to create.
“Something that’s big personally for my game and helps our team is when I’m able to get out in transition with the defense,” the 24-year-old said. “It gives guys catch-and-shoot opportunities.”
Poole scored 11 points in the first three minutes of the fourth quarter to boost the Wizards to a six-point lead. Though the Cavaliers stormed back, Poole’s coaches appreciated his aggression.
“I want him to be in attack mode and he did that for himself and he did that for others,” interim coach Brian Keefe said about Poole. “Obviously, he made his shots tonight, which was great. But the process has been good. I’ve liked what the process has been lately for him.”
The game was tied at 94 midway through the fourth quarter, but the Cavaliers outscored the Wizards 20-9 in the final minutes to seal the game.
The Wizards fell to 9-48 on the year as they maintained their pace for the worst season in team history. The struggling team needs to win 10 of its final 25 games to beat the franchise-worst 18-62 record from 1962 — when the team was known as the Chicago Packers. Despite an abysmal record, the Wizards still have one more win than the bottom-dwelling Detroit Pistons this season.
The Wizards have now lost 11 straight — their last win came on Jan. 29 against the San Antonio Spurs.
The Cavaliers held onto the second seed in the Eastern Conference with the win. They remain one game in front of the Milwaukee Bucks.
Each of Washington’s 11 consecutive losses featured opponents with winning records. The tough schedule continues this week with games against Western Conference playoff contenders — the Golden State Warriors will visit the District on Tuesday before the Wizards travel to Los Angeles to face the Lakers and Clippers.
Keefe said the loss was a tough one for the Wizards, but he’s encouraged by the team’s performance.
“You shouldn’t be happy we lost, we’re never happy about that. But we should be about the process,” Keefe said. “If we keep stacking those types of habits, repeatable actions that we showed tonight, that will lead to wins.”
• Liam Griffin can be reached at lgriffin@washingtontimes.com.
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