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The Washington Wizards ended their recent slide with an impressive offensive showing against the Los Angeles Lakers.
John Wall totaled 40 points and 14 assists in Sunday’s 128-110 win at Capital One Arena, ending a four-game losing streak in the process for the Wizards (12-18).
LeBron James had just 13 points in the second night of a back-to-back as the Lakers fell to 18-12 on the season.
Wizards Still a Playoff Team with a Healthy John Wall
It has objectively been a terrible start to the season for the Wizards. The squad has had problems on and off the court, and it has led to the team sitting near the bottom of the standings.
However, Wall showed what he is capable of Sunday with his best effort of the year to carry the Wizards to an impressive win.
While his points and assists were obviously eye-popping, he also filled up the box score with six rebounds, three steals and two blocks in an all-around dominant effort on the court.
Fred Katz @FredKatz
Wall’s energy with the ball is off the charts tonight. Speed and decisiveness going to the rim has been as good as all season. Finding shooters, finishing at the hoop. He’s been tremendous.
He had 28 points and eight assists in the first half alone, making him just the second Wizards player in the last 20 years after Gilbert Arenas to reach 25 and five by halftime, per ESPN Stats & Info.
There was also plenty of flair to go with his production, including a buzzer-beater at the end of the second quarter:
Wall showed why he has been selected to the All-Star Game in each of the past five seasons and what kind of impact he can make when he is healthy and focused.
For this reason, you can’t count out the Wizards despite their record in 2018-19. He and Bradley Beal form a deadly one-two punch, while the recent addition of Trevor Ariza showed the team is still trying to win this season.
In a weak Eastern Conference, there is more than enough talent on the roster to turn things around and climb up the standings.
As bad as things have been, Washington entered the day just three games out of a playoff spot. Perhaps a win over a tough opponent will help fuel a much-needed positive stretch of play.
The Wizards have finished at least .500 in each of the last five years, and unless Wall is traded, this should be the sixth season.
Lakers Have Already Become Too Dependent on LeBron
You never want to overreact to one loss in the NBA, especially after a quick turnaround like this one. However, one concern in the early going is the team’s dependence on James to win games.
LeBron had a triple-double in Saturday’s win over the Charlotte Hornets but struggled mightily on Sunday, shooting just 5-of-16 on his way to a season-low 13 points. He also had just three assists to go with his four turnovers.
It was the fourth time this season the four-time MVP failed to reach 20 points in a game, with the Lakers falling to 1-3 in those situations. The one win came against the hapless Phoenix Suns, with James also adding 10 assists and zero turnovers.
Obviously, few teams in the NBA are going to be successful when their best player struggles. Still, it’s important for Los Angeles to rally even when its star doesn’t have his best effort.
We have seen plenty of examples with the Cleveland Cavaliers where James represents the entire team’s production and the only way to win against good teams is when he has a superhuman effort. The Lakers don’t want to fall into that trap with this roster.
Even without the injured Brandon Ingram, there is enough talent on this roster to pick up the scoring slack between Kyle Kuzma, Lonzo Ball and others.
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope did his job against the Wizards, scoring a season-high 25 points on 9-of-12 shooting off the bench.
The Lakers need more of that from the diverse roster to help remain competitive even when LeBron doesn’t have his best effort. Otherwise, they will be standing around in the playoffs hoping the future Hall of Famer can once again do something incredible.
What’s Next?
The Lakers complete their road trip with a matchup against the Brooklyn Nets on Tuesday. The Wizards will also go on the road Tuesday to take on Trae Young and the Atlanta Hawks.
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