WASHINGTON -- There are steps every rebuilding team must take.
The Cleveland Cavaliers took a few in the wrong direction on Wednesday night against the Washington Wizards.
Instead of building on Tuesday's dominant all-around performance -- the next step in a long process for these young Cavaliers -- they suffered more growing pains, going backward against the Wizards in a 119-95 loss.
Consider this yet another lesson.
"We just didn't play well," head coach Larry Drew said after the game. "We didn't play with a lot of energy. The first couple of minutes dictated the whole game for us.
"I just didn't think we had a true defensive presence early in the game. All of the things we had built up over the last four or five games, we kind of reverted back to some old habits, which we can't have, particularly on the road."
The energy that fueled a blowout win one night earlier, the spunk the Cavs need to play with on a nightly basis to overcome obvious limitations, was lacking from the opening tip.
Suiting up on the second night of a back-to-back, after arriving in the nation's capital around 1 a.m., the Cavs were lethargic early and never woke up. It didn't help that the team's heartbeat, Tristan Thompson, was sent to the bench with a pair of fouls three minutes into the game and didn't check back in until midway through the second quarter. By that time, the Cavs were trailing by 23.
"It takes a lot of toughness, both mental and physical," Larry Nance Jr. said about playing the second game in two nights. "This team had a lot more rest than us coming into this game. But there's really no excuse for the way we started that game. You have to know they are going to throw their punches and you have to weather the storm and ride the game out. We certainly did not weather the storm."
Just 24 hours after their best performance, the Cavs looked every bit the team that emptied the emotional tank to snap a five-game losing skid. They were a young team that tasted prosperity and didn't know how to handle it.
They looked worn down, forced to play without at least four members of the rotation for the third straight game. Looked like a group eager to get to the final buzzer, seeing a four-day break on the horizon.
Prior to tipoff, Drew was asked to give his keys to a win in Washington. He didn't hesitate.
"Have to take care of the basketball," Drew said. "Can't turn the ball over. That's the a no-no in this building."
The Cavs failed to accomplish their primary goal. Too often, they allowed the speedy, athletic Wizards to race out in transition and build early confidence. Instead of forcing the Wizards to function against the recently-improved halfcourt defense, the Cavs allowed dunks, layups and uncontested shots on the break.
By the end of a miserable night, the Cavs had committed 23 turnovers, which the Wizards turned into 29 points.
As Drew said, that's a no-no. It's the quickest way to an embarrassing blowout.
"I know I came in and had a few crucial turnovers," said Collin Sexton, who had four miscues. "Just have to take care of the ball. Feel like I gave up some easy points because of my turnovers."
For most of the night, the offense looked out of rhythm. The Cavs failed to reach the 100-point mark for the third time in the last four games. They shot 35-of-76 (46.1 percent) from the field and 4-of-21 (19 percent) from 3-point range.
The defense didn't have much of a chance. The Wizards shot 44-of-92 (47.8 percent) from the field and canned 13 triples.
The Cavs left for Washington D.C. late Tuesday night feeling good about where they were headed. They believed they were playing better, growing together as a group.
Drew even said he could see light at the end of the tunnel. On Wednesday, it was only darkness. Again.
Collin Sexton a bright spot
Drew could sense an eagerness from Sexton prior to tipoff. A matchup against All-Star John Wall, who Sexton grew up watching, will do that.
The rookie looked ready. He tallied a career-high 24 points on 9-of-16 from the field and 2-of-3 from 3-point range. Sexton added three rebounds and two assists in 34 minutes.
Wall, meanwhile, scored just eight points on 3-of-10 shooting and had nine assists in 22 sloppy minutes.
Cavs killer
Wizards forward Otto Porter Jr. scored at least 15 points in all three games against the Cavs last season.
He was at it again Wednesday.
Porter tallied 15 on 7-of-11 from the field to go with four rebounds and three assists in just 26 minutes, sitting on the bench for the entire fourth quarter. Porter made six of his first seven shots and attacked Rodney Hood relentlessly before Hood, Cleveland's expected second scoring option, picked up three early fouls.
Slow start
One of the keys for the Cavs during this competitive stretch has been avoiding runaway moments.
They went down 14-4 early, forcing Drew to call timeout. The Cavs responded, creeping a bit closer. But a stellar shooting first quarter, going 13-of-18 (72.2 percent) from the field, was sabotaged by seven turnovers and flimsy defense.
Drew tried to ignite his team with a pair of timeouts in the first eight minutes. But the Cavs were staring at a 12-point deficit at the end of the quarter.
Up next
The Cavaliers will have four days off before heading to Detroit for their matchup against the Pistons on Monday night. Tipoff is at 7 p.m.