Coming off a dispiriting loss to the L.A. Clippers, the Los Angeles Lakers returned home to Crypto.com Arena to host the struggling Washington Wizards on Tuesday night.
The Wizards entered the evening with a 6-35 record, the worst in the NBA and a sign that they fully intend on tanking for the upcoming 2025 NBA Draft. Although Washington’s been a poor basketball team during the 2024-25 season, Los Angeles has had issues trying to stay engaged and focused against lesser squads.
Fortunately, there were no letdowns as the Lakers took care of business and beat the Wizards 111-88 to improve to 23-18. It was the Lakers’ largest margin of victory so far this season.
Anthony Davis struggled mightily against Clippers, scoring only 16 points but he made sure not to repeat that performance against a lowly Wizards team that has no one who can credibly guard him. Davis was got just about anything he wanted offensively, scoring easily in the painted area and showing his range from the perimeter with a few jumpers.
Defensively, Davis protected the paint and made sure that Washington didn’t have many clean looks at the rim. Overall, Davis had a strong night as he led all scorers with 29 points to go along with 16 rebounds, five steals, four blocks and one steal.
LeBron James continues to turn heads despite being 40 years old and he reminded the league just how ridiculous he still is despite being in the twilight of his career. James had the play of the night when Austin Reaves lobbed the basketball and the King threw it down over Jonas Valanciunas. The dunk had the crowd erupt into cheers while the players on the bench got out of their seats.
James did everything on the floor against an overmatched Washington team, recording his ninth triple-double of the season in the process. James finished the night with 21 points, 13 assists and 10 rebounds. He also had two steals and one block.
Dorian Finney-Smith had his best game as a Laker from an offensive standpoint, dropping 16 points including hitting four triples in the win. Prior to the game, head coach JJ Redick revealed Finney-Smith has been on a minutes restriction but saw a slight increase in playing time as he was on the floor for 22 minutes.
What’s next for the Lakers
Rivalry week in the NBA continues as the Lakers will host the defending champions the Boston Celtics on Thursday. Los Angeles then heads up north to the Bay Area to play the Golden State Warriors on Saturday night.
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