Cavaliers Perfect Start Continues With Win Over Wizards

The Cleveland Cavaliers start the NBA season 3-0 with a in over the Washington Wizards.

Oct 26, 2024; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) dribbles the ball against Washington Wizards guard Bilal Coulibaly (0) during the third quarter at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Reggie Hildred-Imagn Images / Reggie Hildred-Imagn Images

Nothing can stop the Cleveland Cavaliers right now, not even back-to-back games four days into the new season. The Wine and Gold's perfect start continued with a convincing win over the Washington Wizards on Saturday night, 135-116.

This is the first time the Cavs have started the season with a perfect 3-0 record for the first time in four years. This is also the ninth straight victory against the Wizards.

A key reason for Cleveland's early-season success has been their ability to make adjustments on the fly, and this was on display yet again.

Oct 26, 2024; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Wizards forward Kyle Kuzma (33) dribbles the ball against Cleveland Cavaliers forward Isaac Okoro (35) during the second quarter at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Reggie Hildred-Imagn Images / Reggie Hildred-Imagn Images

Washington was within six points at halftime after the Cavaliers' slow start. However, Cleveland outscored their opponent 76-63 in the second half and limited the Wizards' leading scorer in the first 24 minutes, Jordan Poole, to zero points in the second half.

The Cavs' win can also be attributed to a well-balanced attack from Kenny Atkinson's offense. Sharing the shot attempts has been a point of emphasis since training camp, leading to early team success across the board.

Donovan Mitchell led the way with 30 points, with 23 of those coming in the second half alone. Darius Garland also put together his best game of the young season, scoring 23 points while shooting 81 percent (9-for-11) from the floor and 80 percent (4-for-5) from behind the arc. DG also dished out five assists.

Perhaps the most impressive performance was Jarrett Allen's 23 points, which came on a perfect 10-for-10 shooting performance.

Cleveland gets a well-deserved day off on Sunday as it travels to New York to face off with its rival, the Knicks, in a potential early playoff preview.