Wizards can find some positives as their losing streak goes to 11

“[We] shouldn’t be happy we lost,” interim coach Brian Keefe said. “We’re never happy about that. But we should be about the process. … That looked like the team that we have been building, and if we keep stacking those type of habits, repeatable actions that we showed tonight, that will lead to the win. So we’re focused on the process on how to get there, and I thought our guys made a great step in that direction tonight.”

Poole’s performance in his third game since he was relegated to a reserve role was a standout. When the Wizards hosted the Cavaliers on Feb. 7, he was held scoreless on 0-for-5 shooting, drawing boos from the Capital One Arena crowd. This time, Poole powered mini bursts of offense, caught fire from beyond the arc (he finished 6 for 13) and engaged the fans throughout the night, finishing with 31 points, five rebounds and five assists.

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“Jordan has played well for us,” Keefe said. “Now we’re seeing him in a different type of role, the ball in his hands a little bit more. And we’re seeing incremental gains in the last three games from this.”

Kyle Kuzma added 27 points, seven rebounds and five assists for Washington, which was plenty shorthanded. Deni Avdija, the fourth-year forward in the midst of a breakout season, missed his second consecutive game with a left heel contusion. Reserve forward Corey Kispert was a late scratch with a non-covid illness. And rookie Bilal Coulibaly was limited to six minutes after taking a hard fall in the first quarter. The Wizards said he suffered a right pelvis contusion.

Here’s what else to know about the Wizards’ loss:

Returning from a two-game absence because of an illness, the Cavaliers’ Donovan Mitchell managed just 16 points on 4-for-10 shooting. It was a far cry from the teams’ meeting earlier this month, when Mitchell torched the Wizards for 40 points. He entered Sunday as the NBA’s fourth-leading scorer at 28.4 points per game.

Instead of getting Mitchell’s usual production, the Cavaliers (37-19) outscored the Wizards in the paint 60-48. Much of the damage came on layups, hook shots and dunks by Cleveland’s frontcourt duo of Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley, who combined for 43 points on 20-for-29 shooting. Allen added 12 rebounds and five assists; Mobley had six rebounds and five blocks.

“We did a great job on Donovan Mitchell tonight, trying to take him out of the game, but they were just a little bit bigger than us,” Kuzma said.

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Sunday was the Wizards’ 11th consecutive game — all losses — against a team with a winning record. Since returning from the all-star break, Washington has lost by 20 at defending champion Denver, by 41 at contender Oklahoma City and by nine to Cleveland.

Washington’s upcoming schedule is no less forgiving. The Wizards host Golden State (29-27) on Tuesday before heading to Los Angeles to face the Lakers (31-28) on Thursday and the Clippers (37-18 entering Sunday night) on Friday.

Washington has one victory against a team above .500 — a 137-123 win over Indiana on Dec. 15.

After playing a season-high 22 minutes in Friday’s loss, second-year guard Johnny Davis got another extended look Sunday. The 2022 lottery pick played 16 quiet minutes, finishing with two points on 1-for-3 shooting.

But Keefe said he was pleased with what he saw from Davis on the defensive end, where he was often tasked with guarding Mitchell or Darius Garland (17 points).

“Johnny has been great for the last three games,” Keefe said. “His defense has been great. His defensive rebounding has been great. He brings great energy. But that’s kind of the role we envision for him. He’s been a positive on the defensive end.”

After committing his fifth foul with 9:39 left in the third quarter, Davis went to the bench, shaking his head in frustration, and did not return.

“It’s definitely tough, but it’s also fun,” he said of his defensive assignments. “I love guarding guys like that, and you really get to see why they’re the best players in the league.”