Washington Wizards vs. Cleveland Cavaliers: Game 2 Preview

The Matchup

The Washington Wizards and Cleveland Cavaliers will face off in Game 2 of their Eastern Conference semifinal series on Tuesday night. The Wizards won Game 1 at home, 102-99, and now have a 1-0 lead in the series.

The Cavaliers are the defending NBA champions and are looking to reach the NBA Finals for the fourth straight year. The Wizards, meanwhile, are looking to reach the NBA Finals for the first time since 1979.

Key Players

Washington Wizards

• Bradley Beal: Beal is the Wizards' leading scorer and is averaging 23.1 points per game in the playoffs.
• John Wall: Wall is the Wizards' point guard and is averaging 21.9 points and 10.3 assists per game in the playoffs.
• Otto Porter Jr.: Porter is the Wizards' starting small forward and is averaging 14.7 points per game in the playoffs.

Cleveland Cavaliers

• LeBron James: James is the Cavaliers' leader and is averaging 34.2 points, 12.1 rebounds, and 9.8 assists per game in the playoffs.
• Kyrie Irving: Irving is the Cavaliers' starting point guard and is averaging 25.2 points per game in the playoffs.
• Kevin Love: Love is the Cavaliers' starting power forward and is averaging 16.4 points and 10.5 rebounds per game in the playoffs.

Keys to the Game

Washington Wizards

• The Wizards need to continue to play with the same energy and intensity that they showed in Game 1.
• The Wizards need to limit the Cavaliers' three-point shooting. The Cavaliers are one of the best three-point shooting teams in the NBA.
• The Wizards need to make sure that they get good shots and not force anything.

Cleveland Cavaliers

• The Cavaliers need to play with more urgency and intensity than they did in Game 1.
• The Cavaliers need to do a better job of rebounding. The Wizards outrebounded the Cavaliers by 45-34 in Game 1.
• The Cavaliers need to make sure that they get LeBron James involved in the offense early and often.

Prediction

The Wizards are the underdog in this series, but they have a chance to win if they can continue to play with the same energy and intensity that they showed in Game 1. The Cavaliers are the more talented team, but the Wizards have shown that they can compete with them. I predict the Wizards will win Game 2 and take a 2-0 lead in the series.

Post-Game Analysis

The Wizards won Game 2 by a score of 114-102. Bradley Beal led the way for the Wizards with 33 points. John Wall added 26 points and 14 assists. Kevin Love led the Cavaliers with 26 points. LeBron James added 20 points and 12 rebounds.

The Wizards were able to win Game 2 by playing with the same energy and intensity that they showed in Game 1. They also did a good job of limiting the Cavaliers' three-point shooting. The Cavaliers shot just 28.9% from three-point range in Game 2.

The Wizards now have a 2-0 lead in the series. They will have a chance to take a 3-0 lead in the series when they play Game 3 in Cleveland on Thursday night.

Table 1: Washington Wizards Player Statistics

Table 2: Cleveland Cavaliers Player Statistics

Table 3: Eastern Conference Semifinals Series Standings

Table 4: NBA Playoffs Schedule