The Cleveland Cavaliers were eliminated from play-in tournament contention long ago, but they’re still set to have an impact on the play-in race Friday night. The Cavs are playing in the nation’s capital against the Washington Wizards, who need just one win to secure the final play-in spot in the Eastern Conference.
Meanwhile, the Chicago Bulls are the one team still alive that can steal the final spot. The Bulls need the Wizards to lose their last two games while winning their own final two games. So, Chicago needs Cleveland to come up big for them on Friday night.
Naturally, the Bulls are sending well wishes in the Cavs’ direction:
Cleveland responded by channeling Michael Scott:
Cleveland did just snap an 11-game losing streak by beating the Boston Celtics the other night. Kevin Love scored a season-high 30 points in the victory, but he’s not going to play in this game against Washington.
However, Darius Garland and Cedi Osman are both questionable and could return to the lineup, which would give the Cavs a better chance to steal a victory and keep the Bulls’ hopes alive. Garland has been out this entire month due to an ankle injury.
The Wizards just lost two heartbreakers in a row against the Atlanta Hawks. Washington didn’t have Bradley Beal in either game, and the team is just 1-10 without the All-Star in the lineup this season. Russell Westbrook has been playing incredible of late and will try to put the team on his back to secure the play-in spot.
Cleveland will attempt to be a spoiler, though losing is probably in the team’s best interests. The Cavs are currently tied with the Minnesota Timberwolves for the No. 5 slot in the lottery. They’re just a game better than the Oklahoma City Thunder and Orlando Magic.
