NBA Game Summary - Washington at LA Lakers
Los Angeles, CA (SportsNetwork.com) - John Wall deposited 21 points with 13 assists and nine rebounds to lead the Washington Wizards to a 98-92 win over the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday night.
Bradley Beal tallied 19 points and Otto Porter added 12 for the Wizards, who have won two straight after a two-game skid.
"I'm not feeling great, I've got a migraine," said Wall. "I played because I didn't want to let my guys down. We didn't come out with a sense of urgency. We started competing in the second half. It starts with me ... I had to get going."
Los Angeles is mired in a nine-game losing streak, the first such skid since a 10-game run in April 1994.
Wayne Ellington poured in 20 of his career-high 28 points in the first half for the Lakers. Rookie Jordan Clarkson had a career-best 18 points in the loss.
The Wizards gained some separation with six straight points to make it an 86-80 game with over eight minutes on the clock.
Los Angeles trimmed its deficit to two with 3 1/2 to play after a Wesley Johnson 3-pointer, but Porter converted a layup moments later for a 95-90 edge.
With under a minute left, Beal rattled home a mid-range jumper to extend the lead to seven and Washington grabbed the win.
The Lakers got off to a solid start in trying to snap their lengthy losing skid. Ellington highlighted a 12-2 run with a four-point play that helped Los Angeles to a 14-7 lead early in the first.
Leading by seven after the first, the Lakers opened the second on a 7-0 burst, with Ellington netting the final five points to increase their margin to 38-24.
Los Angeles held a 57-46 lead at the break.
Washington got back into the game, tying it at 68-68 thanks to a 14-0 surge that Porter capped with a three-point play late in the third. The Lakers went into the fourth holding a 76-75 edge.
"I thought defensively they just started getting up in us, then there was a stretch in the third quarter where we just couldn't make a shot. That was basically the game," Lakers coach Byron Scott said.