Cleveland strung a seven game win streak into the New Year but fell to the Charlotte Bobcats in a disappointing effort on Sunday evening. They’re still winners of eight of their last ten games and have won 13 of 16 contests on their home floor.
LeBron and Co. will play host to Gilbert Arenas and the Washington Wizards on Wednesday night.
And here’s how it breaks down:
At 11-21, the Washington Wizards come into Wednesday night’s matchup as the cellar dwellers of the Southeast division. After missing much of the last two years with knee injuries, Gilbert Arenas enters the evening averaging 22.7 points and 6.9 assists per game. The former all-star has run into problems as of late after being accused of pulling a gun on teammate Javaris Crittenton in the locker room a few days before Christmas. He is expected to be suspended by the league following investigations by DC law enforcement.
With the Wizards going downhill quickly Antawn Jamison and Caron Butler may be auditioning for new teams as the trade deadline becomes nearer. Jamison, who continues to be pursued by the Cavaliers, averages better than 20 points and 8 rebounds per game while Butler adds more than 17 points a night.
Washington is 1-1 this season against the Wine and Gold and are losers of four consecutive contests.
What to Look For:
Shaquille O’Neal poured in 21 points in game one of this season series and helped the Cavs to a 102-90 victory. Without the Diesel, Cleveland fell 108-91 in the nation’s capital. Look for LeBron and Co. to establish the big man’s presence early in this game as O’Neal has one of his most productive nights as a Cav.
Cleveland struggled to contain Antawn Jamison in his return to the floor on November 18. Look for the Cavaliers to put some pressure on the 6’9” forward and force him to work for all of his shots. He will be guarded by Anderson Varejao for much of the game so look for Mr. Efficiency to play his usual physical style of basketball to slow Jamison down.
Prediction:
Shaquille O’Neal doesn’t provide the same offensive production that he did early in his Hall of Fame career but he’s still got a little diesel left in the tank. The big man torches the Wiz for 16 first half points and has his team up a pair heading into the break.
The Shaqalier opens the second half with a powerhouse two-hand slam that ignites the 20,000+ at the Quicken Loans Arena. The Diesel fuels a 14-3 run highlighted by a ridiculous behind-the-back pass to the King for an uncontested hammer. Cleveland leads by 15 heading into the final period with Shaq leading all scorers with 25 points.
Washington makes a quick push with LeBron on the bench to begin the fourth quarter and cuts the Cavs’ lead to 4. Then the Eastern Conference’s Coach of the Month, Mike Brown summons his highness to the stage to steal the show.
Just as he did when Cleveland stomped the Wiz for three consecutive years in the playoffs, Bron leads the way and manhandles Washington the rest of the way. With 45 seconds to play and his team up four, the Akron Hammer gets the theft and is off to the races. After throwing down a vicious jam on Gilbert Arenas, the King (legally) flashes his guns at the former superstar and Cleveland leaves the floor with a 103-94 victory over the Wiz.