The second night of a back-to-back set is always tough, especially for a Los Angeles Lakers team that was coming off a thrilling and exhausting overtime win against the L.A. Clippers the night prior.
The Lakers hosted the Washington Wizards, who entered the night with a league-leading 12-game losing streak. Washington’s already checked out for the 2023-24 season and losing is their best path forward in the name of a higher draft pick.
However, the Wizards gave the Lakers a real scare as they hung around for most of the night and took a lead late in the fourth quarter. For a moment, Los Angeles looked like they would suffer a humiliating loss, but they were able to the game and close things out in the ensuing overtime period.
The Wizards’ frontcourt is young and talented, but lacks the size needed to properly guard someone like Anthony Davis.
Davis was the biggest and most physical player of the night, using his size advantage in the painted area for easy buckets at the rim.
Interestingly enough, Washington didn’t send many double teams Davis’ way and he made them pay for it. Davis led all scorers with 40 points on 14-of-22 shooting to go with 15 rebounds, four assists, three blocks and one steal.
LeBron James was the star of the show against the Clippers and he had a solid encore against the Wizards. Like Davis, James had a physical advantage over his defender and bullied his way for several baskets.
However, James’ best play of the night was on the defensive end as he chased down Jordan Poole to save a layup and keep Los Angeles within striking distance. James finished the night with 31 points, nine assists, four rebounds, one steal and one block.
Finally, D’Angelo Russell was a consistent source of offense for the purple and gold as he picked his spots well next to James and Davis. Russell was the team’s third leading scorer with 22 points including 4-of-11 from the 3-point line. He also had six rebounds, five assists, one steal and one block.
Meanwhile for Washington, Jordan Poole led them in scoring with 34 points off the bench.
What’s next for Lakers
The Lakers will look to keep their winning streak going on Saturday in primetime against the Denver Nuggets. Los Angeles gets a day off before hosting the Oklahoma City Thunder on Monday, followed by another important game against the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday.
Have you subscribed to our YouTube channel? It’s the best way to watch player interviews, exclusive coverage from events, participate in live shows, and more!
