Getty Lakers forward LeBron James.
The Washington Wizard led against the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday night — until they didn’t anymore, which happened in a blink of an eye.
The Wizards started quick by building a 15-4 lead in the first quarter but burned out fast against the powerhouse Lakers, becoming the latest victim of the NBA’s winningest squad.
After getting behind, the Lakers (17-2) outscored the Wizards 84-36 during a 24-minute span from midway through the first quarter until late in the third, coming away with the 125-103 victory. The Lakers made two separate runs of L.A. made runs of 17-0 and 18-0 during the incredible stretch of play.
Three Lakers notched double-doubles in the game, led by Anthony Davis, who collected 26 points and 13 rebounds. He added a trio of blocks and finished a team high plus-28.
LeBron James did his part as well, adding 23 points and 11 assists.
After the game, Wizards head coach Scott Brooks was complimentary of both the team and its stars.
“That’s the best team in basketball,” Brooks told reporters in his postgame interview. “Their record is 17-2 for a reason.”
As for LeBron: “If you guys were not so tired of giving him the MVP, he should have nine of them by now,” Brooks said, per Fred Katz of The Athletic.
Scott Brooks on LeBron James: “If you guys were not so tired of giving him the MVP, he should have nine of them by now.”
James has won the MVP four times (2009, 2010, 2012, 2013) but is at least in the conversation every year.
Lakers Expecting Every Team’s Best Shot
The Lakers two losses this season came in the opener to the Clippers and on Nov. 10 against the Raptors. They’ve now won 10-in-a-row, are tied for the best start in franchise history and are firmly established as a top championship contender.
“We have championship aspirations, but that’s not what’s here right now,” James said. “What’s here is our next opponent. We want to continue to get better. We have guys who have been there and know what it takes. This is a long process, and we can never shortcut it. But we can enjoy it along the way.”
Lakers have won 10 straight and are 17-2, their joint-best start in franchise history.
@KingJames: “Easy money”
(via @lojomedia)
Davis echoed those sentiments from James, adding that he wasn’t surprised with the quick start, via Ryan Ward of ClutchPoints.
“We know the type of team we have and what we defend. We want to be ready to beat anybody and we have a lot of vets. So when we’re down we’re able to fight back and have confidence in our schemes,” Davis said. “It is exciting to be on a roll like this. Coach talked today on how we played back in New Orleans. Our defense was kind of bad so he said that we don’t need to lose to redeem ourselves or to lose in order to pick it back up – we can do that with a win too.”
AD on win streak: “But it is exciting to be on a roll like this. Coach talked today on how we played back in New Orleans. Our defense was kind of bad so he said that we don’t need to lose to redeem ourselves or to lose in order to pick it back up – we can do that with a win too.”
But with great success comes a great challenge. With the streak now in double-digits, Davis knows teams will be hungry to stop to Lake Show.
“I think we’re tested every night,” Davis said. “We’re going to get everybody’s best shot no matter what, because of who we are. But it’s up to us to make sure we lock in.”
Lakers See Surprising Mavericks, Luka Doncic Next
Getty ImagesLuka Doncic #77 of the Dallas Mavericks
Next up for the Lakers is a matchup with Dallas and MVP contender Luka Doncic, who dropped a career-high 42 points in a 120-113 victory over the Suns on Friday. The Mavericks have won six of their last seven.
The Lakers are installed as early 6.5-point home favorites for the game.
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Lakers’ LeBron James Gets MVP Hype From Opposing Coach