Lakers beat Wizards, end road trip with five wins and one loss

The Lakers concluded the last game of a six-game road trip with another win.

The Lakers finish their six-game road trip, defeating the Wizards 125-120.

The Lakers' starters have been dominant lately and Wednesday was no exception. All five starters were in double figures, with Anthony Davis leading the charge with 35 points and 18 rebounds.

LeBron James had a productive night with 25 points, seven rebounds, and nine assists. He also became tenth on the Lakers' all-time assist list.

Rui Hachimura played well against his former team ending the matchup with 19 points on 9-12 shooting.

The Lakers are now 11 games above .500.

Anthony Davis was questionable to play on Wednesday but suited up against the Wizards. He had an early scare, getting elbowed in the eye, which was dangerous given the corneal abrasion he suffered last month, causing him to exit the game against the Warriors.

Luckily for the purple and gold, he was able to continue playing and didn’t allow it to affect his production on the court, helping the Lakers go on an 18-2 run in the first quarter.

Davis didn’t start the second quarter on the court, however, as he headed back to the locker room. With Davis out, the Lakers’ offense got a bit sloppy as both teams ran up and down the floor, exchanging buckets. The Wizards cut the deficit down to four points and Lakers head coach Darvin Ham was forced to call a timeout.

Midway through the quarter, Davis made his return and the Lakers settled down. Los Angeles entered the halftime break leading 67-60.

The Lakers opened the game wide open in the third quarter going on a 13-5 run. They got hot from 3-point range, with Austin Reaves, Taurean Prince and D’Angelo Russell all hitting from downtown.

Washington was held to just 26 points in the quarter and the Lakers held an 18-point lead entering the fourth.

With a double-digit lead in hand, Davis started the fourth on the bench, which is standard for the Lakers. The goal was to maintain the lead and never need to bring Davis back into the game.

Unfortunately, the Wizards went on a run and not only did Davis have to return, but the Lakers were suddenly in a close game as Washington got within two points midway through the fourth.

LeBron responded with an emphatic dunk, Davis converted on a pair of free throws and the Lakers went on a 12-0 run, essentially ending the game.

With 1:44 left, LeBron and Davis’ services were no longer needed and the Lakers emptied the bench.

But wait, there’s more!

Washington went on an 11-2 run and suddenly, Ham had to bring the starters back in for a final defensive stop. They got the stop and won, but it was an ugly finish.

Key Takeaways

This road trip was near perfect, with the Lakers winning five of six games. They had some poor quarters, including on Wednesday, but overall, they look like a team ready to compete as we enter the most important part of the season: the postseason.

The Lakers will now get some much-needed rest and head home to play the Cleveland Cavaliers on Saturday.

You can follow Edwin on Twitter at @ECreates88.