The Cleveland Cavaliers delivered their most lopsided win since overhauling their roster, routing the Washington Wizards 138–113 on Wednesday night in Cleveland.
Reserve guard Sam Merrill poured in a career-high 32 points, connecting on 9 of 10 attempts from beyond the arc. With Washington’s defense focused on James Harden and Donovan Mitchell, Merrill repeatedly found open space on the perimeter and “felt like everything was going in,” he said afterward.
Mitchell added 30 points on 11-for-19 shooting, while center Jarrett Allen stayed perfect from the field at 8-for-8, finishing with 21 points and nine rebounds. Head coach Kenny Atkinson called Allen’s recent form “the best Jarrett Allen I’ve seen.”
Harden, acquired in a recent trade alongside Dennis Schroder and Keon Ellis, attempted only four shots but still produced 13 points and 11 assists. “I took four shots and we won by 25 points—who cares?” Harden said. Atkinson praised the veteran guard for “making the game easy for everybody else.”
Cleveland has yet to hold a full practice with Harden in uniform and has practiced only once since adding Schroder and Ellis, but the new-look lineup continues to click. The Cavaliers (34-21) have won 10 of their last 11 games and own the NBA’s best record (17-5) since Dec. 29.
Washington (14-39) dropped its third straight contest. The Wizards trailed by double digits for most of the night and never recovered after Merrill’s early scoring burst.
The Cavaliers will not play again until after the All-Star break, giving the team more than a week before its next matchup.
Source: Hoops Wire
