PREVIEW: The Washington Wizards play host to the Cleveland Cavaliers at the Capital One Arena on Friday night. The Cavaliers have lost five of their last seven games overall and will be hoping for a better effort after coming up short against the struggling Warriors in a 99-94 loss on Saturday. Meanwhile, the Washington Wizards have been in terrible shape as they've lost 19 of their first 22 games and will be hoping to avoid a fourth straight defeat after getting thrashed by the Hawks in a 131-116 loss on Saturday. Despite their recent struggles, both teams bring distinct competitive identities to the matchup, with Cleveland's defensive intensity contrasting sharply against Washington's high-paced offensive style. Donovan Mitchell drained seven 3-pointers to lead the team with 29 points on 11 of 26 shooting, while Evan Mobley added 18 points with 10 rebounds in their last outing. CJ McCollum led the Wizards with 28 points on nine of 17 shooting, with Tristan Vukcevic adding 18 points, five rebounds and four assists off the bench. The Cavaliers are still shorthanded with Jarrett Allen, Max Strus, Larry Nance Jr and Sam Merrill out, while the Wizards have ruled out Alex Sarr, Khris Middleton, Bilal Coulibaly and Corey Kispert. These teams last met on Nov. 7, and it was the Cavaliers who romped to a 148-115 road win.