Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Washington Wizards 134-131 in the closing seconds of the game. The Lakers needed overtime to secure a victory over the Wizards in a game that should have been simpler for them given that they were playing against a team with only a 9-50 record.
After the game, Lakers head coach Darvin Ham spoke about how they won. Darvin Ham while speaking to Spectrum SportsNet said,
“We found a way to win …some unfortunate plays, some plays didn’t go our way, but as good teams do you have to find ways. It’s not going to be pretty every night, it’s extremely difficult to win in this league night in and night out. Our guys pulled together when we needed to and made the plays when we needed to.”
Darvin Ham: "We found a way to win… our guys pulled together when we needed to and made the plays when we needed to." pic.twitter.com/XCINjH934W
— Spectrum SportsNet (@SpectrumSN) March 1, 2024
Rather, the Lakers had to fight through the entire night to defeat one of the NBA’s poorest teams. In the victory, Anthony Davis led the Lakers with a scorching 40 points, 15 rebounds, and 4 assists. LeBron James chipped in with nine assists, four rebounds, and 31 points.
The Los Angeles Clippers, who are currently ranked fourth in the Western Conference, were defeated by the Lakers 116–112 the day before, an even more stunning victory. The Lakers may have suffered from playing back-to-back games or from not taking their opponent seriously enough when they played the Wizards, but they will need to get back on track when they get ready to play the Denver Nuggets on Saturday.
Even though the Lakers managed to prevail, it would have been even more promising if they had taken command of the game earlier.
