The Lakers (28-18) look to quickly get back to the winning column in Washington where they will take on the struggling Wizards (11-34). This is the first matchup between the teams this season.
Start time and TV schedule
Watch: Spectrum SportsNet
The Lakers’ most recent loss to the Cavaliers had disaster written all over it. No one other than Luka Dončić had more than 12 points, they were outscored in the third quarter (42-22) and they were outrebounded and outscored from the 3-point line as well as inside the paint. It was one of those games where nothing went right for the purple and gold, at least for most of the second half.
It’s also one of those games that has to be flushed in the toilet because there’s nothing the Lakers can do about it besides move on to Washington, literally. On Friday, the Lakers will continue their road trip in the nation’s capital where they will be hosted by the worst team in the NBA right now. They’ll be on the second night of a back-to-back when they face the purple and gold.
This is the perfect opportunity for the Lakers to get back on track and conclude their current eight-game road trip on a strong note. It’ll be nice to see literally everyone play better than they did in this one. They should be able to get theirs more easily against a team that ranks 28th offensively and 29th defensively.
There’s no excuse for the Lakers’ offense and defense not showing up in this one, as they did against the Cavaliers. This should be one of their easiest games this season. It’ll be great to see the Lakers play with more energy, the type that depicts that they’re so much better than the team that showed up in Cleveland. A more concerted effort in closing out defensively, boxing out for rebounds and imposing their will on both ends of the floor would be a sight for sore eyes.
Moreover, perhaps the most notable storyline of this one is possibly the return of Austin Reaves, who has missed the last 17 games due to a calf strain injury and is currently listed as questionable ahead of Friday’s game. This is a big development for the Lakers, who have been missing AR’s services. His return lessens Dončić and James’s scoring responsibilities and adds much-needed speed and boost in the lineup. It’s unfair to expect Austin to instantly return to form but this game is a good start for him to do so.
Note that the Wizards still don’t have Trae Young active in their lineup due to injury, so there’s really no excuse for the Lakers to lose this one. As long as Alex Sarr, Khris Middleton and Kyshawn George don’t play extraordinarily well, L.A. is poised to bounce back.
Let’s see if they can do just that on Friday.
