The Lakeshow Review

The Lakers travelled to Washington to take on the Wizards after a blowout loss at Cleveland last Wednesday, one of the worst losses of the season. The team was badly in need of a win, as they’re currently trying to hold on to the fifth seed in the Western Conference, with the Phoenix Suns trailing them by less than a game. Thankfully, the Wizards were the next team in the schedule. No better slump-buster than playing a 12-34 team. The Lakers, for their part, handled their business and downed the lowly Wizards 142-111. It’s difficult to gauge a team’s caliber after such a mismatch in competition, regardless, it’s a win coming during a crucial stretch of the season. With two more games to go in their current road trip, and looking ahead to a lengthy homestand, we can only hope the team finishes strong.

The Lakers’ offense got to work right away, feeding center Deandre Ayton on the block during the early stages of the game. LAs big man, after a slew of lackluster showings, managed to score 28 points, on 12-14 from the floor to go with 13 rebounds. When Ayton puts forth a double-double effort, the offense usually flourishes. In fact, the Lakers are 10-0 when Ayton records 20-plus points and 10-plus rebounds. Granted, we can’t expect this type of output every game, but it goes to show that when he’s engaged and contributing, good things usually follow, adding another layer to the offense. Washington is abymsal on defense, often failing to tag the roller, and neglecting to front the post on entry passes, so DA had an easy time getting his numbers; we’ll see if he can continue to do this against better teams as well. It’ll surely be needed.

Luka Dončić was once again front and center last night, adding yet another gem to his resumé. 37 points, 11 rebounds and 13 assists would usually spell a relatively “normal” performance for Dončić, but last night was a tad more special, as he had a triple-double by halftime. 26/10/11 for the first 24 minutes. Thankfully, Luka was able to get some much-needed rest late in the game, as we were treated to some extended garbage time, with LA having all but secured the victory within the opening minutes of the fourth quarter. Luka continues to establish a solid rapport with Deandre Ayton, as their two-man game payed dividends both on the pick-and-roll and handoff actions. Luka continued his hot shooting month from range, connecting on 6 of his 13 treys. He concluded the month of January by shooting a stellar 39% from deep, as he gradually regains his form after a string of poor performances following a brief leave of absence late in 2025. When his patent stepback jumper is on-point, Luka is virtually unguardable. He’ll have a good shot to win MVP should he continue this level of play.

LeBron James also filled it up, scoring 20 points on 8/16 shooting, to go with six assists. Rui Hachmura (11 points) and Jaxson Hayes (10 points) both notched double figures scoring from the bench. Overall, this game felt more like a track meet, with neither team truly zeroing in on the defensive side, with the Lakers being the larger benefactor of such events. LA shot 61% from the floor, on 38 assists as a team. We saw some quality, sustained passing sequences from the team, whose offense appears to be operating at a higher level as of late. It’s amazing how different the team fares when players make their shots and the ball is moved all over the court. Against the Wizards, the Lakers’ offensive efficiency saved its stars from being overworked, with Luka only logging in 31 minutes and LeBron playing just 30 minutes. The game was secured by the fourth quarter, allowing for some end-of-the-rotation guys to get in some much needed reps. Hopefully we’ll see more games like this.

The Lakers will now head to New York to play the Knicks, on the second to last game of their current roadie. Against Cleveland, the team was blown out by 30, while flipping the script the following game against the Wizards. This team is unpredictable, to say the least. Bearing that in mind, they’ll have to strive to show the best version of themselves against quality teams, something that’s been somewhat of a struggle lately. The Knicks certainly represent a quality adversary, sitting at 30-18 for the season, and second overall in the Eastern Conference. After getting run out of the gym in Cleveland, it’ll take a much more focused effort to pull off the victory. With Luka seemingly back to being “Luka Magic”, things appear to be on the upswing, but they’ll also need players like Rui and LeBron to step up and deliver. After a breezy win at Washington, we should expect the team to be both fresh and prepared for a hard-fought affair. Go Lakers.