National Basketball Association
BOXSCORE | RECAP
Washington 117, L.A. Lakers 107
When: 10:30 PM ET, Friday, March 21, 2014
Where: Staples Center, Los Angeles, California
Officials: #56 Mark Ayotte, #54 Nick Buchert, #48 Scott Foster
Attendance: 18112

Wizards 117, Lakers 107: John Wall erupted for 28 points and 14 assists as visiting Washington held on to beat Los Angeles.

Wall's second straight 14-assist performance improved the Wizards to 1-2 on their four-game jaunt through the Western Conference and 19-17 on the road for the season. Bradley Beal added 18 points while Al Harrington contributed 15 in a reserve role.

Jodie Meeks and Nick Young scored 21 points apiece to lead the Lakers, who fell to 2-7 in March and have lost 14 of their last 18 games overall. Pau Gasol had 14 points and 14 rebounds while Steve Nash posted five points and 11 assists in his first game since Feb. 11.

Wall helped expand the Wizards' 11-point halftime lead, knocking down a long jumper and setting up three straight Washington baskets in the opening 3:49 of the third quarter as the Wizards opened up a 70-50 advantage. Wall later poured in 11 straight Washington points to help the Wizards fend off a Lakers rally and take an 87-81 lead into the fourth, and Washington opened the final quarter with a 13-5 run highlighted by seven points from Drew Gooden to put the game away.

Washington needed less than 5 1/2 minutes to open up a double-digit lead - going ahead 20-10 on Beal's 3-pointer - and got a buzzer-beating long-range shot from Andre Miller to carry a 33-21 advantage into the second. Nash went to work early in the second frame - setting up a pair of baskets by Xavier Henry to finish with five first-half assists - but Trevor Ariza responded with a a 3-pointer and Harrington added a putback of his own miss as the Wizards led 58-47 at the intermission.

GAME NOTEBOOK:
Nash, who missed 15 games with nerve irritation, added four rebounds and three steals in 19 minutes. ... The Lakers outscored Washington 58-40 in the paint but were victimized by 21 turnovers the Wizards turned into 24 points. ... Young played 29 minutes in his first action since missing 11 games with a knee injury.
Top Game Performances
 
Washington   L.A. Lakers
John Wall 28 Scoring Jodie Meeks 21
John Wall 14 Assists Steve Nash 11
Marcin Gortat 13 Rebounds Pau Gasol 14
John Wall 5 Free Throws Made Jodie Meeks 5
Trevor Ariza 2 Steals Jodie Meeks 4
Marcin Gortat 5 Blocks Jordan Hill 4
Team Stats Summary
 
Team Points FG% 3PM-3PA FTM-FTA Assists Rebounds Blocks Steals Turnovers
Washington 117 48.3 10-25 23-29 21 44 7 9 20
L.A. Lakers 107 47.3 7-19 14-23 32 44 5 12 21
Upcoming Games
  • L.A. Lakers will play their next game at home against Orlando. The Lakers have a W/L % of .000 after a win and .000 after a loss.
  • Washington will play their next game on the road against Denver. The Wizards have a W/L % of .000 after a win and .000 after a loss.