The sequel flopped

The Cavaliers have LeBron James. The Wizards have everything else: the experience, the shooting, the coaching.
It was all on display in Game 2 as Washington won a knock-down, drag-out 89-84 decision, wrestling back the momentum they surrendered in Game 1. The Cavs, a far better home team than a road team, must now head to Washington for two games. They face the very real possibility that they might return home for Game 5 down 3-1 and attempting to stave off elimination.
The Cavs are 0-2 so far this year in Washington, but they absolutely must win one of the next two to have any prayer of winning this series.
In any situation, a Game 5 victory is a necessity. The Cavs simply cannot afford to lose another home game in this series.
Cavs GM Danny Ferry was right when he said Game 1 of a playoff series is an "adrenaline game." The Cavs played on pure emotion, fed by a raucous crowd, and caught the Wizards off-guard.
Humiliated, the Wizards trudged back to the nation's capital, cleared their heads, and regrouped. The soul-searching probably included watching hours of game film featuring LeBron and making myriad adjustments to their defensive attack.
Game 2 is an adjustment game, Ferry said. And Wizards coach Eddie Jordan did the job you'd expect a coach with 11 playoff games under his belt to do.
The Cavs ran off to a 23-8 lead, but then the light bulb went on for the Wizards.
They clamped down on defense inside, hitting the Cavs right where they are the best, driving to the hoop. Every time LeBron, Larry Hughes or Flip Murray attempted to drive to the basket, the Wizards were there to challenge. And it paid dividends as the Cavs blew untold layups.
Jordan apparently was betting that if they forced the Cavs into perimeter jumpers, there was no way the Cavs would be able to match Washington shot-for-shot. He was right.
The Wizards mounted a huge rally, gained the lead, and the game was a wrestling match from then on: slow-paced, physical, and decided by whomever played better down the stretch.
Welcome to real playoff basketball, LeBron and Co.
The Wizards won because the trio of Gilbert Arenas, Antawn Jamison and Caron Butler made clutch shots in the fourth quarter. They capitalized on most of their possessions down the stretch.
The Cavs, meanwhile, self-destructed with a bevy of turnovers and committed fouls. The final turnover was the most puzzling. With less than 15 seconds left and the Cavs trailing by three, LeBron had the ball heading up the court. Coach Mike Brown was screaming for a 20-second timeout, but no one heard him.
That would have been forgiveable if LeBron would have hoisted a three and made it, or passed it to someone who made a three. But he didn't.
Inside of 10 seconds, he found Anderson Varejao open inside. He was open for a reason: The Wizards knew the Cavs needed a three to tie, and were plastering their defense to the perimeter.
LeBron zipped a pass inside to Varejao, but as we all know, the Wild Thing couldn't get a good grip on the basketball if it had handles. Predictably, the ball squirted out of his hands and a rugby scrum ensued. Varejao was called for the foul.
With 30 seconds to play, looking for the quick two is fine. With less than 15 seconds remaining, you need the three. It was a momentary lapse of judgment by LeBron. It didn't cost the Cavs the game, but it cost them their last chance to tie and possibly force overtime.
There is no question the Cavs are loaded with offensive talent, and can play solid enough defense when they are so motivated. But consistent mental focus and an ability to adjust on the fly are two flaws in the Cavs' armor, and unfortunately, they are huge flaws this time of the year.
The onus is now on rookie coach Brown to match the adjustments Jordan made in time for Game 3 on Friday.
If the Cavs win Game 3, the mood around the team should brighten considerably and suddenly the series will look winnable again. If they lose Game 3, that wall will be inching ever closer to the Cavs' backs.