Wizards win with Beal back in the lineup

After a recent tough stretch of games, it’s nice for the Wizards to end 2021 with a win. The Wizards entered Thursday night’s game against the Cavaliers, having lost their previous 3 games at home. Which is a bad thing, because Washington only played four December home games prior to Thursday night. A 1-3 record at home? Not great. With a four game home stretch coming up, it was important for Washington to get this home stand off to a great start. But the good news is that Bradley Beal is back in the lineup.

After a competitive first quarter, Washington went into halftime with a 10 point lead. That 10 point deficit was something that Cleveland couldn’t overcome, as Washington continued to build on it. The stat of the night was Washington outscoring Cleveland in the paint 68-44. If you can outscore your opponent in the paint to that degree, you put yourself in a really good position to win the game.

With a 110-93 win over Cleveland, Washington is now 18-17 on the season and is holding onto the 8th seed in the Eastern Conference.

Star of the Game

Bradley Beal is the star of the game, with 29 points, 10 assists, and 6 rebounds. Beal missed the last couple games due to being in health and safety protocol. Having him back out there for the Wizards is a positive. Especially for a team who is missing a few players, and is trying to get the season moving back in the right direction.

Biggest Concern

No concerns. This was a good win for a team that needed something positive to end 2021 with.

Number of the Night

7. That’s how many turnovers Washington had tonight. Taking care of the basketball is super important. If you limit your turnovers, your offense is going to be that much more efficient. Fewer turnovers, means fewer fast break chances for your opponent. Fewer turnovers, also leads to fewer possessions for your opponent.