The Washington Wizards (9-49) are ready to face the Los Angeles Lakers (32-28) for their first of a three-game West Coast road trip. Here's everything you need to know.
WHERE: crypto.com Arena (Los Angeles, CA)
WHEN: 10:30 p.m. ET
TV: Monumental Sports Network
RADIO: Team 980 & The Wizards App
INJURY REPORT:
WIZARDS:
Deni Avdija (left heel contusion -- questionable)
Bilal Coulibaly (right pelvis; pelvic contusion -- out)
Isaiah Livers (right hip; joint capsule inflammation -- out)
LAKERS:
TBD
PLAYING WITH PACE
Unlike the Wizards, Thursday night's game will be the second leg of a back-to-back for the Lakers. Not only did they have a game on Wednesday night, but it was an emotional, hard-fought, come-from-behind victory where the Lakers had to use every ounce of energy to beat the Clippers. LeBron James fueled the comeback, playing 37 minutes and scoring 34 points. Anthony Davis notched a 20-point, 12-rebound double-double in 36 minutes.
Back-to-backs are never easy in the NBA. When you factor in the age of the Lakers' core and the effort it took them to mount a comeback and earn the win just 24 hours ago, it makes it even harder. This is why the Wizards will have to push the pace.
The Wizards have a much younger core group of guys and they love to play fast. They're second in the league in fast break points per game (18) and first in pace (103.68). Conversely, the Lakers give up the fifth-most fast break points per game at (16.1). Look for the Wizards to get out in transition every chance they get.
TAKING CARE OF THE BALL
Valuing possessions and taking care of the rock will also be crucial for the Wizards. In their last game against the Warriors, turnovers were costly. They committed 21 turnovers and gave up 30 points off of those turnovers. Unfortunately, the Lakers are even better than the Warriors at making teams pay for turning the ball over. They're in the top half of the league in points off turnovers (16.7) and third fast break points (17.5).
Thankfully, the Wizards have Tyus Jones, a point guard you can trust to protect the ball and make plays on offense without committing turnovers. He's coming off a career-high 17 assists and is averaging 13.2 assists and only 1.3 turnovers over his last six games. Those numbers are absurd. If the Wizards can limit their turnovers, they'll be in a good position to come away with a win in Los Angeles.
OPPORTUNITY FOR MARVIN BAGLEY III
One aspect of the game the Lakers struggle at is keeping their opponents off the offensive glass. They allow the third-most second-chance points per game in the league at 15.4. This is where Marvin Bagley III comes in.
Since joining the Wizards, Bagley has been a menace on the offensive glass. In his 15 games in the Navy, Red, and White, he's averaging 13.6 points and 8.7 boards (4.3 offensive) despite averaging fewer than 25 minutes per contest. On Tuesday night against the Warriors, Bagley was up to his usual tricks, dazzling with a 20-point, nine-rebound performance.
Bagley's ability to put continuous pressure on the offensive glass makes him a nightmare to deal with for opposing bigs. Keep an eye on his relentless attack on Thursday night against the Lakers.