After suffering a crushing loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers in their previous outing, the Los Angeles Lakers appear to have bounced back convincingly. With a 142-111 win over the Washington Wizards, the Lakers improved to 29-18 on the season and regained control over their road trip (4-2).
The game against the Wizards came across as an easy one for the Purple and Gold. Given that Washington is among the weaker teams in the East, the Lakers made quick work of the matchup with a dominant showcase by Luka Doncic early in the game.
Doncic ended the night with a triple-double outing of 37 points, 11 rebounds, and 13 assists. However, considering that he had already notched his triple-double within the first half, it was evident that he was coasting for the rest of the game.
A triple-double in under 20 minutes for Luka Dončić 😱
26 PTS
10 REB
11 AST
19 MIN
He records the second first half 25+ PT triple-double of the play-by-play era (1997-98).
The only other instance?
Himself in 2023. pic.twitter.com/l7SliYJB9u
— NBA (@NBA) January 31, 2026
Deandre Ayton also came up big for the Lakers on Friday night. After a string of underwhelming performances, the big man posted 28 points and 13 rebounds to go with three blocks and a steal on 12-14 shooting to help secure the victory.
In comparison, Lakers superstar LeBron James had a quiet night, recording 20 points, three rebounds, and six assists on 8-16 shooting from the field. However, when factoring in that this was a bounce-back game for the 41-year-old after a poor performance in Cleveland, the display was noteworthy.
The Wizards found themselves pushed into a corner early on as L.A. came out swinging. With Luka Doncic shooting lights out and putting an immense amount of pressure on the Wizards’ defense, Washington found itself giving up a 14-point lead in the first quarter.
With the momentum on their side, the Lakers continued their onslaught in the second quarter as James kicked off the scoring with five quick points. Although Wizards forward Kyshawn George attempted to respond in kind, the Lakers’ offense was humming. With Washington struggling to keep up with L.A.’s pace, the lead ballooned to 29 points at the end of the first half.
The Wizards seemed more determined in the second half, as Alex Sarr opened the scoring with a dunk. However, the young team got caught up in the Lakers’ pace again. Doncic, who still had the hot hand, masterfully conducted his team’s offense, extending the lead to as many as 38 points halfway through the third quarter.
After this point, L.A. took its foot off the gas, leading to a slight reduction in scoring. While the Wizards managed to capitalize on this, the lead still stood at 24 points heading into the final frame.
Halfway through the fourth quarter, after both teams traded more baskets, the Lakers made a mass substitution, effectively signaling the start of garbage time. With Bronny James, Dalton Knecht, and Maxi Kleber on the floor, the Purple and Gold asserted that the victory was in their grasp.
Even in the closing moments of the game, however, the Wizards displayed tremendous effort on the defensive end, hounding Bronny each time he received the ball. Aside from a highlight-reel dunk in transition by James, however, there weren’t many meaningful moments in this segment.
ITS A BIRD… ITS A PLANE…
IT’S BRONNY JAMES!!! ✈️ 🚀🔥 pic.twitter.com/RcsIwcjFub
— LakeShowYo (@LakeShowYo) January 31, 2026
While the Lakers saw impressive performances across the board, Washington also saw some solid displays.
The starting trio of Alex Sarr (16 PTS, 6 REB, 5 AST, 2 STL), Bub Carrington (15 PTS, 6 AST, 4-8 3PT), and Kyshawn George (15 PTS, 6 AST, 2 BLK) all posted strong figures, combining for 46 points. Interestingly, the Wizards’ scoring effort was led by Malaki Branham, who had 17 points on 6-9 shooting off the bench.
Although Friday night’s win was against a sub-.500 team, it was one that the Lakers needed. With only half a game separating L.A. from the Suns (now in seventh), the Purple and Gold need every win they can get.
Now six games into their road trip, the Lakers appear to be in a solid position to come out of it with a .500 record at worst. Still, with the need to assert themselves as a title contender, the Lakers will hope to record a win against the New York Knicks in their upcoming bout on Saturday, Feb. 1.
