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Wizards' Wall: Cavs matchup is biggest regular-season game of my career

Brad Mills / USA Today Sports

Being a top team in the East is one thing, but being the best team in the conference is a whole different story - especially when LeBron James is still balling in northeast Ohio.

John Wall and his Washington Wizards want that honour.

The team from the nation's capital is gunning for the top of the conference and is currently one of the NBA's hottest squads (17-4 over its last 21 games) coming into a Monday night matchup against the current conference leaders, the Cleveland Cavaliers. After winning the second player of the month award of his career in December, Wall knows games against the other top teams in the conference aren't anything to take lightly.

“I’ve been in some big (regular season) games before,” Wall told Candace Buckner of the Washington Post, “but I don’t think one is bigger than this one.”

Washington has only suited up against the defending champs once so far this season, way back on Nov. 11 when the Cavs took care of them 105-94, dropping the Wizards' record to 2-6 at that point. Washington's play at Verizon Center has taken quite the turn since then, however. The Wiz are rolling on their home court, sporting a 17-game win streak that dates back to Dec. 6 when they dropped a high-scoring affair to the Orlando Magic.

The Wizards are right in the thick of the hunt for the conference's second seed alongside the incumbent Celtics - who currently sit 2.5 games ahead of Washington - with the Raptors and Hawks also in the mix.

After bumping the Lakers-Knicks game from the TNT schedule, Wall and his teammates will get their chance to show out on a national stage against one of the top teams in the league.

"(The Cavaliers are) a team that’s been playing okay, but they’re the defending champs,” Wall said. “We know which team we have to chase in the East. We’ve got a great home streak going on ... It’s going to be a packed crowd. A lot of people here. It’s on TV. It’s going to be an important game for us.”

Wall is playing the best ball of his career, posting career highs in points per game (23), assists (10.4), steals (2.2), and field-goal percentage (47).

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