The Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the Washington Wizards 115-105 on Friday night, extending their dominance in the NBA. Darius Garland led the way with 24 points and eight assists, while Jarrett Allen contributed 21 points and 11 rebounds.
Donovan Mitchell added 20 points for Cleveland, which improved to a league-best 22-4 and maintained a 1.5-game lead over Boston for the top spot in the standings. Despite shooting a season-low 39.6%, the Cavaliers found ways to secure the win.
Caris LeVert chipped in 14 points and six assists, while Isaac Okoro scored 13 points for the Cavs. Cleveland struggled from beyond the arc, going 15 of 51 on three-pointers, but capitalized on 28 free throws to outlast Washington.
The Wizards, now 3-20 and the NBA’s worst team, were paced by Bilal Coulibaly, who tied his career high with 27 points. Jordan Poole scored 17 points, and Justin Champagnie added 16 points and eight rebounds for the struggling team.
The Wizards’ Alex Sarr, the No. 2 overall draft pick, returned to action after missing two games with a back injury. The 7-footer made his first five shots and finished with 14 points and seven rebounds in 27 minutes.
The Cavaliers played without Evan Mobley, who sat out with a left ankle sprain sustained in their previous game.
For Washington, the loss added to a challenging stretch of 18 defeats in their last 19 games. Despite Coulibaly’s breakout performance, the Wizards struggled defensively, allowing Cleveland to dominate the boards with a 50-44 rebounding edge.
