Cavs Lose First Preseason Game, King Sidelined
The Washington Wizards got a hint of revenge against the Cavaliers for all of those playoff defeats, as the Wizards beat the Cavs 109-104 for Cleveland’s first loss of the preseason.
LeBron James sat out the game with flu-like symptoms, leaving his two-man running mate Shaquille O’Neal on the floor all by himself. PG Mo Williams sat out, resting his strained groin, while SG Delonte West continued to remain away from the team due to personal reasons.
With a depleted backcourt, Shaq took it upon himself to shore up the frontcourt. The big man posted an efficient 13 points and six rebounds in 19 minutes of action, including a no-look assist to PG Anthony Parker for a lay-up.
“We didn’t have all our guys, but that’s no excuse,” O’Neal said. “We’ve got to keep working at it to get better.”
Substitute forward Jawad Williams, starting in place of James, scored 21 points in 26 minutes, posting a team-high +8 for the game.
Daniel “Boobie” Gibson left the game in the third quarter with a bruised tailbone and did not return.
