4 keys to Cavaliers’ beatdown of Wizards on Monday night

Visiting the nation’s capital for the 28th road game of the season, the Cleveland Cavaliers outclassed their hosts. The Cavaliers didn’t take their foot off the Washington Wizards’ throat until the final buzzer echoed through Capital One Arena.

Usually, smackdowns are not entertaining, especially the ones against an undermanned team. But the Cavs are an outfit that struggles more often on the road than it achieves. On Monday, the squad played an altruistic brand of hoops and sharpened its skills in the process.

Let us take a look at how Cleveland got the win.

Slashing ball movement

Like a hot knife slicing through butter, Cleveland dissected Washington’s transition defense and halfcourt man-to-man coverage. As for some pretty examples, Isaac Okoro recovered a long rebound and hit Evan Mobley in stride with a pass over two defenders for an uncontested dunk.

This time, with Donovan Mitchell leading the break down the middle, Darius Garland ran the lane to the left, and Mobley was the trailing big. Spida first passed to DG. Before Washington could adjust to the move, Garland tapped it backward to Mobley, resulting in a two-handed slam.

On another, Mitchell passed to the uncovered Dean Wade on the right wing. Next, Washington’s Kristaps Porzingis closed out from the nail but bit on a fake. Wade slithered into the lane and hit Okoro in the left corner. #35 then drove past Delon Wright on the baseline for an acrobatic finish, eluding Porzingis.

Off the dribble, when Mitchell and Garland would slash inside, Washington’s defense often over-helped from the strong and weak side, exposing an area. With the Cavs playing unselfishly and creating mismatches with a high volume of screens, the Wizards were hopeless against the extra pass.

The starting backcourt combined for 10 dimes. Even with the 7-foot-3 Porizngis on the floor, Cleveland always had the vertical spacing of either Jarrett Allen or Mobley. In pick-and-roll at the key, Garland had two Wizards in front as his center rolled to the rim. The only opening was in the air. Allen caught it, came down, and back up for a soft kiss off the glass for Garland’s fourth assist.

Of the Cavaliers’ 16 turnovers, seven were caused by traveling, stepping out of bounds, losing the ball on a drive, or picking up a charge.