Nobody really expected Washington to have much trouble against the Los Angeles Lakers, but it took a furious fourth-quarter comeback to pull out the win. The wizards outscored their opponent 37-13 in the last quarter after being down 95-82 through the first three periods. Their defense went missing after the halftime break, which led the Lakers to make 15 straight shots, but it didn't matter at the end as the weaker team ran out of gas. Washington still has the potential to win the Eastern Conference as they are two games back from the top spot.
Lakers can't keep fire going in final quarter
It was a stunning display of offense from Los Angeles in the first 12 minutes of the second half. Point guard Jordan Clarkson (14.8 ppg) hit all six attempts from the field in the stretch, but went just 4-for-13 at the other times to finish with 22 points. Point guard D'Angelo Russell led the team with 28 points and had a positive passing ratio of nine assists to four turnovers.
Both Clarkson and Russell took 40 field goal attempts combined, nearly 50 percent of the team's shot attempts. Ultimately the team made over 50 percent of their field goals and hit 14-of-16 free throws, but their defense continues to let them down.
Wizards copy their opponent in the fourth quarter
Washington saw the Lakers hit 37 points in the third quarter, and they responded by getting 37 points themselves in the final period. It didn't take long for them to get back into business by chugging to a 19-6 run to tie the game and they never looked back. The Wizards won despite hitting just 6-of-23 3-pointers and converting just 17-of-25 free throw attempts.
Point guard John Wall (23.2 ppg, 10.8 apg) had another stunning performance with 34 points, 14 assists, and just 3 turnovers. He's recorded three double-doubles in the last four games and he's now eclipsed the 30-point mark in the second consecutive game. Shooting guard Bradley Beal (23 ppg) was limited by his standards to 16 points, but did play a key role in the team's fourth-quarter run.
Next up, both teams will be on the road as the Lakers take on Minnesota and the Wizards will stay in LA to battle the Clippers.
