Wizards Learn Another Lesson The Hard Way

They were up 14 points several times in the second quarter last night and their halftime lead should have been 20. But if you've followed the Washington Wizards at all this season, you know they are completely incapable of putting away an opponent.

Even with a packed house urging them on and the Cleveland Cavaliers, other than LeBron James, stuck on ordinary, the Wizards did in Game 3 of this playoff series what they did all season:

They let the other team back in the game. No Wizards lead is safe. No opponent is ever hopelessly behind. The Wizards seem to think the object of the game is to let the other team stay close enough to win. And the Cavaliers obliged them.

Washington's Game 3 loss at home to Cleveland was inexcusably lame by playoff standards. Yes, James was as great as advertised; his 41 points single-handedly carried Cleveland to victory.

But it's also true that sometimes one team simply loses the game, and this is one of those times. The Wizards committed the goofiest turnovers, made sophomoric decisions with the ball as if possession of it was no big thing. They were beaten to loose balls. And worst of all, after seeing first-hand that a team has to put a body on James and knock him down if necessary, the Wizards came back the very next game and played as soft as cotton candy. They didn't touch James on his, oh, dozen times blasting to the basket.

Mentally, the Wizards were mush. On their best nights they can't concentrate for more than five or six minutes. In Game 3, they did one dumb thing after another after building a lead of 54-40 with a couple of minutes to play before halftime. Apparently, the Wizards didn't get the memo that this is the postseason. The moment they felt comfortable in their lead they reverted to regular season play. They waved at Cavaliers going to the basket. They settled for deep jump shots, as if taking it to Zydrunas Ilgauskas was the same as taking it to Bill Russell.

No Wizards were sick that we know of or injured that we know of or impaired that we know of. They were just inadequate as a group. They built a lead, sat back to admire their work and got their lunch money taken. They ought to be as embarrassed after Game 3 as they said they were after Game 1.

Cleveland scored 52 points in the paint to the Wizards' 38. Yes, the Cavaliers have a size advantage, but not an overwhelming one. That statistic reflects playing with too much finesse on offense and like Charmin on defense. Softness on both offense and defense.

Cleveland outscored the Wizards on second-chance points, 20-10. That stat is a reflection of effort and hustle -- or lack thereof.

No team with real aspirations, playing at home, gets out-hustled by a neophyte team.

Cleveland outscored the Wizards 15-8 on fast breaks.

On a night when Flip Murray, Donyell Marshall and Eric Snow each make one basket, you simply cannot lose a playoff game. Yes, Ilgauskas scored 15 points, but he missed eight of his 12 shots. Yes, Larry Hughes scored 16 points, but he missed nine of his 15 shots. Marshall missed 7 of 8. Murray missed 5 of 6. James had three assists. His teammates weren't up to helping him.