Wizards defeat the Cavs
Defense was the difference

The difference between the Washington Wizards’ win against LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers last Saturday and their prior three loses was defense. After going winless for the week of Nov. 12, the Wizards losing because of poor defensive performances to the New Jersey Nets, New York Knicks and Detroit Pistons respectively, played exceptional defense on King James and defeated the Cavs 111-99.

“We got our behinds kicked tonight,” explained Mike Brown, Cavaliers' head coach.

James, who at the start of the Nov. 18 game was the league’s third leading scorer averaging 29.6 points per game, was held to 20 points, making eight of 20 shot attempts. Whenever James had the ball Wizards players swarmed around him like bees on honey. According to Eddie Jordan, the Wizards’ head-coach, Caron Butler, DeShawn Stevenson and Jarvis Hayes defensively got after James.

“DeShawn did a really good job on defending LeBron James,” said Jordan. Jarvis did a good job and Caron did a good job.”

Defensively the Wizards are one of the league’s worst teams. They rank 26th in points allowed, 21st in field goal percentage, and 28th in 3-point field goal percentage. There are 30 teams in the league. The Wizards also rank 25th in the league in rebounding, but out-rebounded the Cavs, one of the league’s best rebounding team, 41 to 37; with 15 offensive rebounds the Wizards’ scored 36 second chance points.

With the victory, their fourth in nine games, the Wizards remained tied for third place in the Eastern Conference’s Southeast division.

After playing almost even during the first-half, the Wizards completed their magic and made the Cavs disappear during the third quarter, outscoring Cleveland 31 to 16. During the quarter the Wizards held their opponents to 30.4 percent shooting, 14 percent from the arc.

“We did a good job last night in the first half, but in the third quarter we stepped way down,” explained Wizards’ forward Antawn Jamison. “Tonight, we definitely came out in the third quarter the way you’re supposed to come out.”

The win according to Jordan was about will and determination.

“It was more will and determination,” said Jordan. “We said more than the game plan and more than making shots, which we hadn’t done in a long time, it was about will. It was about what team needed it the most and what team would show that it needed it the most. We made shots and we kept the juice defensively.”

With the Wizards traveling to Texas this week to play the Houston Rockets and Dallas Mavericks and then to Memphis to tangle with the Grizzlies, the win was big. “We needed it,” said Jordan.

In the closing moments of the game, Hayes trying to block Shannon Brown’s landed violently bumping his head and back. He sustained a back bruise. After lying on the floor for several moments Hayes was removed on a stretcher with his head and neck secured. He was taken to Sibley Hospital were his x-rays were negative. He is listed as day-to-day. Hayes is coming off of two seasons where he has suffered patella injuries.