Wizards tame Lakers in overtime

The Los Angeles Lakers led by as many as 17 points in the second half but the Washington Wizards whittled away at the lead and eventually forced overtime.

And in the extra time period, Bradley Beal and Los Angeles native Russell Westrbrook took over, leading the Wizards to a 127-124 victory over the Lakers at Staples Center on Monday.

Beal led the Wizards with 33 points, while Westbrook added 32 points.

With the loss, the Lakers have lost three in a row for the first time this season and four of their last five, falling to 22-10 on the season. 

The Lakers are 3-1 in overtime games this season.

The Wizards improved to 11-17 and have won five games in a row for the first time since 2018.

LeBron James topped the Lakers with 31 points, 13 assists and nine rebounds. Montrezl Harrell added 26 points and nine rebounds, while LeBron James poured in 18 and Kyle Kuzma added 14 points.

Early on, James turned his focus from scorer to distributor, finishing with eight assists and focusing more on getting his teammates involved on offense.

Top player: Kentavious Caldwell-Pope continued to work his way out of a shooting slump, finishing with 21 points on 8-of-15 shooting from the field, including 4-of-8 from beyond the arc.

What I liked: L.A.’s outscored the Washington Wizards bench 51-33.

What I didn’t like: The Lakers turned it over 20 times and Washington scored 26 points off L.A. turnovers.

Injuries: Anthony Davis remains out for the next month with a calf strain. And guard Dennis Schröder will miss at least one more game due to the league’s health and safety protocols.

They said it: “Even though we’re not perfect, I think we’re doing enough on the side of the ball. And when you’re defending at a high level, you have a chance to win every night, which has been the case. There’s always room for improvement, but I’m happy with what we’re doing on that side of the ball.” – Lakers head coach Frank Vogel on the way his team has played defensively so far this season.