They clutch to the memory of a game two weeks ago, when they entered the final two minutes envisioning an upset. They turned the ball over too much. They missed too many foul shots. Yet, Cleveland struggled to pull away.
And therein lies the Wizards’ postseason hopes: a near win. It’s not a lot, but it is what Washington (41-41) must cling to as it enters the postseason against No. 2 seed Cleveland (50-32).
“It lets us know we can play with them,” Wizards guard DeShawn Stevenson said. “We match up well with them.”
But, realistically, minus Gilbert Arenas and Caron Butler, there’s not much cause for optimism.
“We’re being written off by everybody,” Wizards guard Antonio Daniels said, “and when I say everybody, I almost mean everybody outside of the guys in that locker room and some of the fans. When you get written off so much that obviously has to motivate you.”
They point to the 99-94 Cleveland loss, the first game minus both Arenas and Butler, as cause for hope. The Wizards played six playoff teams in their last eight games and lost by six points or less in five of them.
“We have to play as hard as we can to at least be a player in this thing,” Wizards coach Eddie Jordan said. “Hopefully we have enough to be competitive and see if we can scare them a little bit.”
If the Wizards harbor any visions of an upset, these players must change their recent play:
» Stevenson: He played well when one of the Big Three was missing, but his role has changed dramatically now that two are out. It’s harder for him to get a good shot lately and he hasn’t proven he can break a defense off the dribble.
“This could make a lot of people’s careers,” said Stevenson, a likely free agent after the season.
» Jarvis Hayes: He’ll cover LeBron James. Last year, Jared Jeffries’ length and Caron Butler’s toughness gave James some problems. Hayes, a pending free agent, could make himself desirable to other teams with a strong defensive effort. But he needs to show some consistency on offense to truly make a difference. In the last 10 games, he’s had five games with 11 points or less.
» Brendan Haywood: He gave Cleveland’s Zydrunas Ilgauskas problems last postseason because of his length. Etan Thomas can’t do that, which allows Ilgauskas to get his shot off. Problem is, Haywood hasn’t exactly played inspired ball off the bench.
Playoff path
» Last postseason, Cleveland won three games at the buzzer to eliminate Washington, 4-2. The Cavaliers were 2-1 against the Wizards this season. Washington went 10-20 in its last 30 games and have not beaten a team that made the playoffs since a March 6 win over Toronto.
» Antonio Daniels has appeared in 65 playoff games, more than anyone else on the Wizards’ roster. Teammate Jarvis Hayes is making his playoff debut. He’s been hurt each of the past two postseasons.
» The Wizards play at Cleveland on Sunday and again on Wednesday night. They will return to Washington in between games to practice.
