Lakers push past Wizards in gritty win.
LOS ANGELES — The Lakers pushed past the Wizards in a down-to-the-wire win, beating Washington 119–117 behind a 33-point performance from LeBron James, improving their team record to 13–16.
The gritty win was secured in the final seconds against the Wizards after a scramble that looked as though LeBron turned the ball over, only to recover and find a wide-open Thomas Bryant for the dunk with 7.4 seconds left to put them up by two.
“I knew if LeBron had an open lane, I just had to make myself available,” said Thomas Bryant. "Luckily, it went my way right there, and I got the easy dunk."
With 7.4 seconds left after the dunk, former Laker Kyle Kuzma helped confirm the Lakers' win, missing the potential game-winning three on the final shot.
“Sometimes it’s better to be lucky,” said LeBron on the final seconds of the win.
LeBron finished with a game-high 33 points on 54% (13-for-24) shooting from the field, adding 9 assists and 7 rebounds in 36 minutes.
With Anthony Davis out for several weeks, Thomas Bryant continued to make an impact in his place, recording his first double-double of the season.
“I feel very confident and very good with my shot, just putting in the work day in and day out,” said Bryant on where he feels right now with his shot.
Bryant finished with 16 points and 10 rebounds, knocking down his two three-point attempts for a total field goal percentage of 54% (7-for-13) in 32 minutes in the starting lineup.
Lonnie Walker IV was the Lakers' second leading scorer in Sunday's win, going 2-for-4 from behind the arc for a 21-point outing.
Midway into the 3rd quarter, Austin Reaves rolled his ankle after stepping on Wizards center Daniel Gafford's foot in the paint, showing pain as he skipped into the locker room while not favoring his right foot.
Reaves would later return from the locker room and finish the night as effective and efficient as he’s been all season, scoring 12 points on 4-of-5 (80%) shooting from the floor while shooting 100% (2-for-2) from three and adding 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block in 33 minutes.
“If it ain’t broke, go play. That's what my mom and dad used to tell me. I’ve always tried to play through nicks and bruises.” said Reaves on his rolled ankle.
The Lakers will start their two-game road trip on Monday against the 18–12 Phoenix Suns on Sports Spectrum SportsNet and NBA TV.
