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If it’s up...then it’s up! Why do you ask? It’s because the WIZARDS WON!!
The Washington Wizards defeated the defending champs, Los Angeles Lakers, 116-107 on national television. That’s right...if you have ESPN you saw the greatness that is of the Wizards in full swing. You even saw some major dunks because let’s be real everyone shows off on national television. We’ll even freeze frame one of them.
Just Nasty! pic.twitter.com/eCp6zVSpap
— Diamond Minnea (@_PensAndWords_) April 29, 2021
It was a back and forth type of game in the first quarter between both teams as the Lakers exposed Washington in the paint scoring endlessly over the Wizards’ big men. The Wizards tried their best to keep up knocking down mid-range jumpers to keep them in the game. Bradley Beal even put Anthony Davis on skates early on adjusting his shot from a potential driving shot to a mid-range fadeaway.
After the first quarter, it was nothing but Wizards basketball. They found some rhythm and even some help from their reserves (all except Davis Bertans that is). The Wizards bench helped a lot in the second quarter to help push Washington to a 61-55 halftime lead. Overall the reserves combined for 36 points, 12 coming from Ish Smith and eight each from Chandler Hutchison, Robin Lopez and Daniel Gafford.
Russell Westbrook looked like a true point guard out there tonight as he scored another triple double and only had two turnovers, which both came in the fourth quarter. And that’s so much better than all his other games. Back to his 176th career triple-double where he put up 18 points, 18 rebounds and 14 assists. And of his 18 points was this put the game away and-one!
LET'S GO, RUSS!!! pic.twitter.com/m7oqBXLYG0
— Washington Wizards (@WashWizards) April 29, 2021
Beal had one of his great games with 27 points and three assists. Hopefully that’s enough to keep him ahead as the league-leading scorer so that scoring title can be his. It’s pretty evident the duo of Beal and Westbrook is a force that can’t be stopped especially when they’re taking out top teams in the Western Conference, sweeping three of them.
The Wizards definitely took care of the LeBron-less Lakers especially when they took a demanding 85-69 lead off a 16-2 run. Whew!
But going back to that awesome freeze frame of Rui Hachimura who came into the game not scared of Davis whatsoever and he showed it. Hachimura only had 12 points, but of his 12 points came this dunk in full motion.
RUI POSTERIZES AD!!!!! ⼋#WizLakers | @rui_8mura pic.twitter.com/NhuuesdHp4
— Washington Wizards (@WashWizards) April 29, 2021
Gafford and Hutchison even got in on the slam dunk action!
NATIONAL TV, MEET DANIEL GAFFORD! pic.twitter.com/wXFHIqzrrU
— Washington Wizards (@WashWizards) April 29, 2021
OH MY... CHANDLER HUTCHISON ATTACKS THE RIM!
— NBA (@NBA) April 29, 2021
: ESPN pic.twitter.com/DN4VmYjJeS
Without taking away an effort from Los Angeles, they did have a decent game, just not good enough to take out the Wizards. Davis finished with 26 points and Andre Drummond had a double-double with 17 and 11. Ben McLemore added 16 points off the bench as well.
Washington will head on the road for a back-to-back starting with the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday then the Dallas Mavericks on Saturday.