WASHINGTON – The Lakers dug themselves a hole and recovered from it. After erasing the 19-point deficit they fell into in the first half, however, they could not summon the final effort necessary to steal a victory against one of the league’s hottest teams, losing, 116-108, to the Washington Wizards on Thursday at the Verizon Center.
Jordan Clarkson scored 20 points off the bench to lead the Lakers, while four others reached double figures. D’Angelo Russell recorded double-digit assists for the second straight game, and the second time in his career, finishing with 17 points, 11 assists and 7 rebounds.
Nick Young, who learned Thursday he had been invited to participate in the 3-Point Shootout at NBA All-Star Weekend, was limited to seven points and shot just 1 for 8 from 3-point range.
The Lakers rallied to tie the score at 91, making the pockets of the Verizon Center crowd loyal to the Wizards restless. Washington answered with a 10-2 run, however, and the Lakers were never again able to cut the deficit to a single possession.
Washington’s dynamic backcourt of John Wall and Bradley Beal combined for 56 points, with Wall pouring in 23 of his game-high 33 points in the second half.
Julius Randle made a surprise appearance for the Lakers in the first half, logging six minutes in the second quarter. After missing the previous two games with pneumonia, Coach Luke Walton said Randle would be active, but limited. Randle finished with two points on 1-of-4 shooting.
Much more to come on this story.
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