Here is what you need to know before the Lakers complete their two-week homestand against the Washington Wizards.
1)
Second-overall pick Brandon Ingram is listed as doubtful for tonight’s game due to patellar tendinitis. The 19-year-old had been playing his best basketball of the year before his injury, having scored double figures in 10 straight games. The Lakers started veteran Corey Brewer in his place on Sunday, but head coach Luke Walton had not decided what lineup he will begin with this time.
2)
Ingram’s fellow rookie — D-Fenders call-up David Nwaba — has put in some valuable minutes in the Lakers’ last two games. The L.A. native has shot 8-of-9 from the field, but his biggest impact has been on the other end. After the Lakers’ last game, Walton said that Nwaba was “great again defensively, disrupting stuff.”
3)
Unfortunately for the Lakers, their offense as a whole couldn’t get started in Sunday’s loss to Portland. Despite a 22-point night from D’Angelo Russell, L.A. scored only 81 points and shot 39.3 percent from the field, including 5-of-21 on 3-pointers.
4)
Last time the Lakers faced the Wizards, they were done in by 33 points and 11 assists from All-Star John Wall. Jordan Clarkson (20 points) and D’Angelo Russell (17 points, 11 assists) had solid performances for L.A., but they couldn’t prevent the team’s eighth loss in its last 10 meetings with Washington.
5)
The Wizards are currently on a roll, having won three straight, including over the defending-champion Cleveland Cavaliers. Washington’s offense has been red-hot during this burst, putting up 120.0 points a night.
6)
John Wall has been at the forefront of his team’s offensive surge, as he ranks second among all players in assists (10.8). Wall is also one of the game’s elite scorers, averaging 23.0 points while providing the third-most on fast-breaks (5.9) thanks to his world-class speed. And on the other end, he starts those transition plays himself by swiping the league’s second-most steals (1.96).
7)
The Wizards boast one of the NBA’s top backcourts, as Wall is joined by Bradley Beal, who leads his team in scoring (23.1 ppg) while shooting the third-best field goal percentage among all qualified guards (48.1). A threat to catch fire from beyond the arc, Beal only needs to hit three more 3-pointers for the most in franchise history.
8)
Washington’s starters average the second-most points (83.5) of any team’s opening five, and it’s pretty easy to see why. Along with Wall and Beal, the Wizards also start the likes of Marcin Gortat — who ranks seventh in field goal percentage (57.1) and ninth in rebounds (10.8) — and Otto Porter Jr., who hits the league’s second-best 3-point percentage (44.2).
9)
With the postseason only about two weeks away, the Wizards have also made an effort to beef up their bench by adding a couple of potent guards. Bojan Bogdanovic is putting up 14.8 points per game as Washington’s new sixth man, while Brandon Jennings averages the most assists (4.6) among players coming off the bench.
10)
The Wizards’ offense has been the key to their success this season, as they rank fifth in points per game (109.2) and third in field goal percentage (47.4). This has made the burden easier on their defense, as they are 16-2 when holding the opponent to fewer than 100 points.
Injury Report
Lakers: Jordan Clarkson (fifth metacarpal contusion, right hand) is probable. Brandon Ingram (right patellar tendinitis) is doubtful.
Wizards: Bojan Bogdanovic (low back stiffness) is TBD.
Tip-Off: 7:30 p.m. PT
TV: Spectrum SportsNet and Spectrum Deportes in L.A. NBA TV nationally
Radio: 710 ESPN and 1330 KWKW