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Cavs' defense continues to falter in crucial loss to Wizards

Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports / Action Images

The Cleveland Cavaliers may own the NBA's third-best offense, but that might not matter come playoff time if they can't find a way to defend.

For the umpteenth time this month, the Cavaliers failed to show up on the defensive end against a potential playoff opponent, surrendering 127 points to the Washington Wizards on Saturday night. It marked the fifth straight game that Cleveland gave up 100 points or greater, and the 12th time in the last 14 contests.

Kyrie Irving was particularly poor on defense in Saturday's contest, allowing John Wall to get off to a blistering start, and playing a large part in the point guard's 37-point, 11-assist performance.

The loss was a crushing blow for the Cavaliers, who now sit just a half-game ahead of the Boston Celtics for the No. 1 seed, with six of their last 10 contests coming against teams that are .500 or better.

While general manager David Griffin has done a tremendous job of surrounding LeBron James with the shooting and spacing he needs to thrive offensively, he's failed to land a true defensive stopper, forcing players like Irving and J.R. Smith to cover the other team's top guard on a nightly basis.

Cleveland's strategy of simply trying to outscore its opponent may work in the regular season, but it won't when the game slows down and defenses tighten up. Once again, the Cavaliers will need to find a way to flip the switch when the playoffs roll around, and shift their focus toward stopping their opponent.

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