Washington Wizards 127-124 LA Lakers: 5 Hits and flops as LeBron James makes costly errors in the clutch
The LA Lakers scuppered a 17-point lead and the chance to win the game in regulation as the Washington Wizards handed them a 124-127 loss in overtime. This was the fifth consecutive win for the Wizards who are certainly in the ascendancy after a torrid start to the 2020-21 season.
Both Dennis Schroder and Anthony Davis were absent again but the LA Lakers seemed rather comfortable to start the game. It was only in the second half that the Washington Wizards rallied back with Russell Westbrook leading the charge. Bradley Beal turned up in overtime and it was game over for Frank Vogel's men.
As always, a few individual performances from this matchup stole the show while some drew attention for all the wrong reasons. On that note, let us look at the five hits and flops from this game.
#1 Hit: Russell Westbrook (Washington Wizards)
Russell Westbrook is improving his output as he gets healthier and that's had a huge bearing on the Washington Wizards' results. He was just one assist short of recording another triple-double, finishing with 32 points, 14 rebounds, and nine dimes to his name tonight.
Westbrook kickstarted the Wizards' comeback against the LA Lakers with his timely passing and hustle plays after the break. He even made the layup in overtime to give his side a three-point lead which the Purple and Gold could not surmount.
#2 Flop: LeBron James (LA Lakers)
Under normal circumstances, LeBron James would've featured in the 'hits' column because of his numbers. King James had 31 points, 13 assists, and nine rebounds tonight but he failed to turn up when it mattered the most.
With about nine seconds left on the clock in the fourth, LeBron managed to score a layup on Westbrook to tie the game at 115 apiece and got the foul. He had the opportunity to seal the deal for the LA Lakers from the charity stripe but he missed the free throw as the game headed to overtime.
LeBron then flattered to deceive in the final moments of the matchup, going just 2-of-5 in overtime. His defense on Westbrook which allowed the latter to score a layup was rather appalling. James then decided to throw up a wild shot from way downtown which he missed and the Washington Wizards escaped with a win. Usually spot on in the clutch, LeBron made several bad plays today.
#3 Hit: Bradley Beal (Washington Wizards)
It's highly unlikely for the Washington Wizards to win without Bradley Beal turning up and the league's leading scorer was in his elements today as well. Beal matched his season average to score 33 points to go along with his six assists and seven rebounds.
Beal had a lean patch in the fourth quarter where he went 0-of-5 but the Wizards managed to stay in the game. He did turn up big in overtime and scored all three of his shot attempts to hand the LA Lakers their third consecutive loss.
#4 Flop: Davis Bertans (Washington Wizards)
Davis Bertans couldn't make the most of his opportunities against the LA Lakers. Good ball movement and screen play from the Washington Wizards resulted in some wide-open looks for the sharpshooter but just couldn't get the buckets to fall.
Bertans has shown flashes of why the Wizards gave him an $80 million contract this offseason but hasn't been consistent at all. He finished with just eight points on 2-of-9 shooting against the LA Lakers.
#5 Hit: Montrezl Harrell (LA Lakers)
Montrezl Harrell was in his elements tonight on the offensive end. The reigning Sixth Man of the Year dominated Robin Lopez to score 26 points on 10-of-17 shooting. Harrell was also aggressive on the glass and managed nine rebounds, including four offensive boards. The LA Lakers could've used his presence during dry spells but foul trouble restricted Harrell to just 23 minutes of playing time.
Also read: Washington Wizards 127-124 LA Lakers: Twitter explodes as LeBron James and co. lose 3rd straight