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Wizards struggle to stop Lakers in 125-103 loss

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On Friday night, the Lakers (17-2) took down the Wizards (6-11), 125-103. In the third game of their road trip out West, the Wizards struggled to keep up with the Lakers. Bradley Beal led the Wizards with 18 points and nine assists, while Rui Hachimura added 16 points and eight rebounds.

The Wizards started out hot, beginning the game with a 15-4 run. Hachimura scored eight of his 16 points during that opening run. Unfortunately for Washington, the Lakers would respond with a 29-6 run, featuring 15 points from Lakers All-Star big man Anthony Davis.

The Lakers, who own the best record in the NBA, would control the game the rest of the way, opening up a 39-point lead during the third quarter. Los Angeles opened up the second half with a 20-2 run, and would lead by at least 22 points the rest of the way.

“That’s the best team in basketball," head coach Scott Brooks said postgame. "That’s the best team we’ve played all year now. Their record is 17-2 for a reason. They’ve got two of the best players in the league. You’ve got to be able to sustain and play physically and make shots. We didn’t make enough shots in that first half and they were aggressive. They’re long. Defensively, they’re good. It was a tough night.”  

Washington struggled from the field, shooting 39.% and only 10-of-37 (.270) from beyond the arc. The Wizards also turned it over 19 times and only scored 10 points on 13 offensive rebounds.

On the night, the Lakers shot 51.7% from the field, including 14-of-32 (.438) from deep. Los Angeles dominated the paint (56-36) and scored 22 second chance points on only seven offensive rebounds. Davis led the Lakers with 26 points and 13 rebounds, while LeBron James added 23 points and 11 assists.

"We just need to be a little more consistent," Beal said after the loss. "It’s definitely somewhat frustrating but at the end of the day, we realize it’s a long year. We’ve got a lot of games left and we have gotten better defensively.”  

Next up, the Wizards will wrap up their four-game road trip against the Clippers on Sunday at 10:30 P.M. ET.