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At first glance, this game looked like the one. You know what I mean, right? A couple of losses to good teams that felt like they could have gone the other way at any time only have one satisfying salve: a weekend win at home in front of a large and excited crowd to a bottom-feeding team. Too bad for the Wizards that the Cavs and Kyrie Irving weren't interested in doling out relief. And too bad for Wizards fans that the their own team couldn't close this game out in regulation.
And things were starting off so well!
Wall to Beal! #Wizards on the board after a nice 3-on-2 fast break #WizCavs
— Washington Wizards (@WashWizards) November 17, 2013
Wall to Gortat. Slam! Wall to Webster! Alley-oop! #Wizards dunking their way back into this, down 8-6 early in 1st #WizCavs
— Washington Wizards (@WashWizards) November 17, 2013
Wall-Gortat side pick and roll looking good.
— Noam Schiller (@noamschiller) November 17, 2013
John Wall has one made FG and 4 assists. Wizards have 5 FGs. #Math
— Noam Schiller (@noamschiller) November 17, 2013
Uh, guys, don't want to alarm anybody, but John Wall is managing a freaking offense out here and it's gorgeous.
— Noam Schiller (@noamschiller) November 17, 2013
New bench crew?
So Garrett Temple and Vesely enter the game, while Maynor stays on the bench..
— Rashad Mobley (@rashad20) November 17, 2013
Vesely the steal, finds Rice who feeds it back to Ves for the alley-oop!! What a way to finish 1st Q! #Wizards up 25-18 after 1 #WizCavs
— Washington Wizards (@WashWizards) November 17, 2013
Hey, not too shabby.
Dang! Even Jan Vesely was getting in on it! Too bad Trevor Ariza, Otto Porter Jr, and Chris Singleton couldn't join the fun.
That's not Otto Porter Jr #Wizards #soWizards pic.twitter.com/vqgeQtx35e
— jonathanjoseph (@jonathanjoseph) November 17, 2013
Wait... is that... Never mind.
The Cavs make the Washington Wizards look like a juggernaut. They are SO bad right now.
— Conrad Kaczmarek (@ConradKazNBA) November 17, 2013
I mean, things were going pretty great.
Wizards on top by 5 (49-44) heading into halftime. Kyrie's got 17. Beal's got 16. Benches playing with purpose. BASKETBALL!
— Bullets Forever (@BulletsForever) November 17, 2013
I mean, even through the third quarter things were going OK.
Then it started slipping.
Kyrie just out-hustled the Wiz for the easy layup. Then finds Miles for the open 3. Wiz losing momentum. #WizCavs
— Hoop District (@HoopDistrictDC) November 17, 2013
???
Hmm....
The Wizards have had big leads with Wall in the game, and they have lost those leads when Wall has been sitting. Correlation or Causation?
— Bullets Forever (@BulletsForever) November 17, 2013
Kyrie Irving has taken 13 more shots than John Wall, has 30 more pts. #wizards trail 97-92 in OT
— Michael Lee (@MrMichaelLee) November 17, 2013
Oof.
Body language says it all #Wizards pic.twitter.com/ajIVgFODmw
— Kevin Jones (@Mr_KevinJones) November 17, 2013
Cavs win in overtime, 103-96 over the Wizards. First road win of the season for Cleveland. Kyrie drops 41.
— Conrad Kaczmarek (@ConradKazNBA) November 17, 2013
Ugh.
Wizards out scores Cavs in the paint, 50-26. You should never, ever lose when that happens.
— Satchel Price (@SatchelPrice) November 17, 2013
Double ugh.
The #Wizards bench scored ... wait for it ... 9 points.
— HELLO my name is (@JohnCTownsend) November 17, 2013
Triple ugh.
Well, I hate the Cavs again #flashback
— Adam McGinnis (@adammcginnis) November 17, 2013
:(
The Wizards and Cavs both needed this win tonight. And with the Timberwolves coming to town on Tuesday, I think the Wizards are REALLY going to regret letting this one slip away and get out of hand.