Lakers Blow Out Wizards Despite Missing Anthony Davis
Everything went right for the Lakers on Thursday night. After dropping a tough loss in Philadelphia, the Lakers bounced back against the lowly Wizards despite missing Anthony Davis.
Even though the win may have been expected, the team gave us an impressive performance, winning 134-96. Los Angeles recorded its highest-scoring half of the season, with 78 points in the first half. The team was clicking on all cylinders from start to finish in this one.
The Lakers are only 0.5 a game back from the Nuggets for the 4th seed 👀 https://t.co/4PYXzVSFyQ pic.twitter.com/EdzqfzjDs3
— Lakers All Day Everyday (@LADEig) January 31, 2025
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Offense Clicking
The Lakers shot with ease as they went 15-32 from three-point land and an impressive 54% field goal percentage overall. They had an outstanding 31 assists, getting everyone involved in sharing the basketball.
This fueled the entire offense throughout the blowout. Reaves and Hachimura made four threes each, and Christie added three. James and Hachimura led the scoring with 24 and 22 points, respectively.
The team also only missed one free throw tonight, going 21/22 from the line. If they can maintain even a portion of this level of shooting, LA will be hard to stop.
Lock Down Defense
While the Wizards may be one of the worst offensive teams the league has ever seen, the Lakers did their part by stifling them throughout the entire game.
The team recorded nine steals and six blocks and forced 13 turnovers, holding the Wizards to just a 32% FG percentage. Despite missing their anchor on defense in Davis, the all-around effort was there to make up for it.
Stepping Up
The team was missing some key players in this game. Anthony Davis was out with an abdominal strain, Dorian Finney Smith was out with a shoulder injury, and Gabe Vincent remained out of the lineup with a knee issue.
Despite this, the entire team stepped up in their absence. Hachimura was impressive after having a rough shooting stretch. Jaxon Hayes filled in well at the center position, and even Bronny James made another rare appearance in this one.
He played the entire fourth quarter and added five points, two rebounds, two assists, and a steal in his 12 minutes of action.
Looking Ahead
The Los Angeles Lakers will play the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on Saturday. This will be a much harder test, as the team is expected to be missing Davis again. The Knicks have also been on a roll, winning five straight.
However, JJ Redick said after the game that he hopes DFS and Vincent will be available. This would provide some much-needed depth in both the front and backcourt. Los Angeles will look to improve to 28-19 and possibly move into the fourth seed in the Western Conference standings.
