Wizards’ losing streak is 11 after defeat vs. Cavaliers

“[We] shouldn’t be happy we lost,” interim coach Brian Keefe said. “We’re never happy about that. But we should be about the process. … That looked like the team that we have been building, and if we keep stacking those type of habits, repeatable actions that we showed tonight, that will lead to the win. So we’re focused on the process on how to get there, and I thought our guys made a great step in that direction tonight.”

Poole’s performance in his third game since he was relegated to a reserve role was a standout. When the Wizards hosted the Cavaliers on Feb. 7, he was held scoreless on 0-for-5 shooting, drawing boos from the Capital One Arena crowd. This time, Poole powered mini bursts of offense, caught fire from beyond the arc (he finished 6 for 13) and engaged the fans throughout the night, finishing with 31 points, five rebounds and five assists.

The Wizards keep experimenting, even as the losses continue

“Jordan has played well for us,” Keefe said. “Now we’re seeing him in a different type of role, the ball in his hands a little bit more. And we’re seeing incremental gains in the last three games from this.”

Kyle Kuzma added 27 points, seven rebounds and five assists for Washington, which was plenty shorthanded. Deni Avdija, the fourth-year forward in the midst of a breakout season, missed his second consecutive game with a left heel contusion. Reserve forward Corey Kispert was a late scratch with a non-covid illness. And rookie Bilal Coulibaly was limited to six minutes after taking a hard fall in the first quarter. The Wizards said he suffered a right pelvis contusion.

Here’s what else to know about the Wizards’ loss:

Returning from a two-game absence because of an illness, the Cavaliers’ Donovan Mitchell managed just 16 points on 4-for-10 shooting. It was a far cry from the teams’ meeting earlier this month, when Mitchell torched the Wizards for 40 points. He entered Sunday as the NBA’s fourth-leading scorer at 28.4 points per game.

Instead of getting Mitchell’s usual production, the Cavaliers (37-19) outscored the Wizards in the paint 60-48. Much of the damage came on layups, hook shots and dunks by Cleveland’s frontcourt duo of Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley, who combined for 43 points on 20-for-29 shooting. Allen added 12 rebounds and five assists; Mobley had six rebounds and five blocks.

“We did…