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Arenas May Not Play in Game 4
Gilbert Arenas missed most of Game 3 with left knee problems. He says he'd consider a painkilling shot if it will get him on the floor for Game 4.
(By Preston Keres -- The Washington Post)
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Cleveland leads the best-of-seven series 2-1, but the Wizards seized momentum with Thursday's shockingly easy 108-72 victory at Verizon Center. Regardless of Arenas's availability, the Wizards will try to replicate nearly everything they did in Game 3.
Five players scored in double figures, and the team shot 52.1 percent from the field, got a series-high 41 bench points and forced the Cavaliers into 23 turnovers after they had turned it over only 19 times in Games 1 and 2 combined. Even better, the Wizards aggressively converted those mistakes into 30 points and never allowed LeBron James to dictate the game's tempo as he did throughout the first two games.
And, whether it was Butler splitting a double team before making a spectacular layup over Joe Smith, Andray Blatche making a steal and then scoring on a short jump hook or Roger Mason Jr. sparking a personal 7-0 run by making a three-pointer at the start of the second quarter, the Wizards were in attack mode all night long.
"They completely dominated us at both ends," said James, who finished with 22 points on 10-of-19 shooting but had only three assists against four turnovers and also attempted only four free throws. "They executed, they shot the ball well, and they defended us well. We know that on Sunday, we can't come out and play like that. The series doesn't really start until somebody wins on the other team's home floor."
After dominating Games 1 and 2, James was confronted by more double teams and other defensive tactics by the Wizards, who mixed man-to-man and zone defenses and were able to force James to hover around the perimeter much of the night.
He missed all four of his three-point attempts and had limited opportunities to attack the basket the way he did so often in Cleveland.
"They were very aggressive in the paint with him coming off of screens, whether it was pick-and-rolls or pin-downs [a screen used to free a cutting James]," Cleveland Coach Mike Brown said. "They were aggressive and just making the lane look crowded. He just has to continue trying to drive the basketball and hope to find his teammates."
