The Los Angeles Lakers narrowly beat the 9-50 Washington Wizards in an overtime game that could have been their worst loss of the season. The 134-131 win has allowed them to maintain the No. 9 seed and continue moving forward, but fans were not impressed at all with this performance.
Back-to-back & overtime
Got it done. pic.twitter.com/LCw6FF65e4
— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) March 1, 2024
The inconsistency shown by the Lakers from their win over the Clippers to this game against the Wizards befuddled fans.
Only the Lakers would beat one of the best teams in the league and then go into overtime against one of the worst teams in the league a day later.
— Ryan Ward (@RyanWardLA) March 1, 2024
Fans weren’t happy with the Lakers not feeding Anthony Davis in the second half despite his hot night.
Lakers continuing to completely abandon AD in the 2nd half of games needs to be studied.
— Calenta (@NBAPaint1) March 1, 2024
Coaching decisions were baffling fans, as LeBron sat on the sidelines for two of the final three minutes of the game.
I just watched LeBron stand on the sidelines 2 of the final 3 minutes in the fourth quarter a real game btw
— kingtisemedia (@kingtisemedia) March 1, 2024
Fans credited Jordan Poole for having one of the best games of his rough season.
Jordan Poole looking like 2022 Poole tonight
— Dime Dropper (@DimeDropperPod) March 1, 2024
Fans were happy they escaped with a win but still called the performance out.
this is bullshit tbh
u win the game but dawg lebron is NOT happy about this at all
thank god for the win but geez man
— Coach Rome (@Rome_Beast) March 1, 2024
Some fans believed their defense was embarrassing.
Lakers really going to overtime with the Wizards tonight after winning a clutch game down 21 against the Clippers in the 4th. I get they’re tired but the way they’ve allowed the Wizards to score tonight is embarassing
— megs 💜💛 (@mgnlakers) March 1, 2024
The Lakers put up big numbers led by Anthony Davis having a monster 40-point 15-rebound night. LeBron James put up 31 points with nine assists while D’Angelo Russell also had 22 points. The offense wasn’t the problem, but the Lakers allowed the Wizards to shoot 51.0% from the field and 41.5% from three.
The Wizards were led by Jordan Poole putting up 34 points off the bench in one of his best performances of the season. Kyle Kuzma showed out against his former team with 20 points and 10 rebounds, while Marvin Bagley had a strong 23-point night with a clutch block on LeBron in the fourth quarter.
The Lakers Might Not Have Enough To Contend This Season
This was not what Lakers fans wanted to see. After a season-defining win over the Clippers where they made a 21-point fourth-quarter comeback, playing like this against the worst team in the league is shocking. Even if it was a back-to-back, the Lakers should be able to handle a team like this far easier.
Offense was one of their key problems at the start of the season, but most concerns are defensive now. Both LeBron and AD were having powerful offensive games, with D’Angelo Russell giving them a big contribution. The Lakers simply couldn’t stop the Wizards from scoring at will. This was a close game for the entire night and the Wizards actually outscored them in the fourth quarter to force OT.
Performances like this can’t be acceptable at this point in the season, especially with the Warriors going 8-2 in their last 10 games. They’re struggling to stay ahead in the standings, let alone making a push for a top-six seed. Despite them being just 3 games behind the No. 6 seed, the strength of the team ahead of them makes their push up the standings unlikely, especially if they play like this against teams like Washington.
They can be a playoff team and even threaten top seeds, but to expect the Lakers to win a title this season is foolhardy, with games like tonight proving why consistency is the biggest challenge for this franchise.
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