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00:00Девушки отдыхают.
00:30These guys can.
00:31Will Riley's been on a bit of a hot streak right now,
00:34and they're going to try to avoid their 58th loss of the season tonight.
00:40All right, keys to the game.
00:42Lexus and Fish.
00:45Billy, tonight's important, man.
00:47Without Luka's offense, in particular in the first quarter,
00:49normally gets off to a strong start.
00:51Luke Kennard coming in off the bench.
00:53We need four plus threes tonight to add some of that perimeter shooting.
00:57And then DeAndre Ayton, he can dominate this game
01:00just physically being present around the basket.
01:03A double-double tonight, 15 and 15, I want to see.
01:06And then dominate the interior for this Lakers team.
01:08Don't settle for threes.
01:10Punish this young Washington team that doesn't have the size
01:13to stop them in the paint.
01:14And then defensive rebounder so he can get out and run
01:17and attack the basket early.
01:20Well, Mike, Luka's not here, but you try to replace him in the aggregate.
01:23So how are they going to do it here tonight?
01:25Billy, I'm glad you said aggregate, right?
01:27Because there isn't one player that can step in
01:29and do what Luka Dacic has been doing of late,
01:32especially in the first quarters, right?
01:34He's basically averaging 20 points.
01:35But, hey, this guy right here, Austin Reeves,
01:37he has always, really throughout his career as a Laker,
01:40been able to up his game when needed
01:43from an offensive usage standpoint without losing efficiency.
01:47And Derek Fisher, that's the key, right?
01:49You give the ball to Austin,
01:50you can have increased defensive pressure.
01:52Give him more touches, though,
01:54and he's still able to shoot over 50%.
01:55He's got the three-level scoring,
01:57so he is the player that can give you much more
01:59than he sometimes does if somebody is out.
02:02That's what makes Austin such a great fit with this group.
02:05He has the ability to be a featured player.
02:07As you see here, the Lakers starting
02:10with a pick and roll between Austin and LeBron.
02:12Too difficult to switch.
02:14Lakers score easy in the paint to start.
02:16And you think that LeBron will get a little more aggressive
02:18shooting the basketball.
02:19There's shots available.
02:20Plenty of shots available because Luka
02:22is almost high-volume shooters in the NBA.
02:26Trying to get it to Carrington.
02:27They can't.
02:28Of course, deep fish in for Stu tonight,
02:30if you're just joining us.
02:32On the outside, this one on the way.
02:34It's going to be off.
02:36Leaking out is LaRabia to throw it down
02:39with one hand on the outlet from LeBron.
02:42That looks like Luka.
02:43LeBron also eyes up on the rebound,
02:46immediately getting the ball up to Jake LaRabia
02:48for an easy two.
02:49And turnover.
02:50And once again, the Lakers down.
02:52We'll control.
02:53This is the kind of team you don't want
02:54hanging around at all.
02:56They've been pretty competitive in the first half
02:58in a lot of these games.
02:59And then fall apart late.
03:01That's kind of been their M.O. a little bit.
03:03Taken out by Rui.
03:04Rui underneath with the left hand.
03:06All too easy.
03:07And what a great start for the late show.
03:09Now, phenomenal star, Billy.
03:10Six points.
03:11All right at the basket and at the rim.
03:14LeBron, Jake, and then there Rui for two more.
03:16And defense leading to offense there.
03:18In the middle.
03:19Throwing it down right there is
03:23Vukcevich.
03:24Vukcevich.
03:24First name, Tristan.
03:27He can score the ball.
03:29Yeah, he can.
03:29Yeah, not just in the paint.
03:31He's a good shooter from the perimeter as well.
03:33Seven-footer.
03:34Got that size underneath.
03:36They're talking about it right there.
03:38Rejecting LeBron.
03:40And you not reset on that
03:42until the Lakers turn it over.
03:44They turned it over 15 times the other night.
03:47Vukcevich.
03:48Not there.
03:48Long lead again.
03:49Touchdown for LeBron.
03:51No, he's not able to score the basket.
03:52So they'll just reset.
03:55He likes the matchup.
03:57Going up against the big seven-footer.
03:59He's alone out on an island.
04:01Plenty of time on the shot clock.
04:03Here's that ball away.
04:04Got it.
04:04LeBron.
04:06Took his time.
04:08Didn't allow the defense to try and speed him up.
04:10He was reading the Wizards' backside defense the whole time.
04:13Got to a shot that he liked.
04:15They quickly get it down to the other end
04:17and Trey Johnson is the one that scores the hoop.
04:21Trey Johnson went to Texas for a year.
04:23Richard Earl.
04:24Trey Johnson.
04:25The third is his full name underneath.
04:29Vukcevich will control it.
04:31He'll bring it out of the backcourt himself.
04:32And he'll be attacking 47.
04:34The Lakers have been playing great basketball.
04:37You all know that.
04:3814 of the last 16.
04:41Vukcevich misses the three.
04:43They've actually shot the three very, very well recently.
04:48Yeah, this young team, they're going to continue to try and play fast and play early.
04:52Open shots in transition they're going to look for.
04:54You think this guy got over the game the other night?
04:57Not yet.
04:58Not yet.
04:59Not yet.
04:59There's no way.
05:00A win by the Lakers tonight will help.
05:02It certainly helps.
05:03So we'll root for that.
05:05Of course, the all-time leading scorer in Duke history is JJ.
05:08Great pass.
05:09Oh, LeBron missed the dunk.
05:13After a great pass, LeBron was alone and he couldn't throw it down.
05:188-4.
05:19Eight and a half to go.
05:21Champagne's underneath.
05:22Of course, his brother plays in the league.
05:23And that's knocked out of bounds.
05:25I'm not sure I've seen LeBron miss a dunk.
05:31He had a ball just kind of grazed the rim on the way up and couldn't finish it off.
05:37But you see again, the Lakers screening action between Austin and LeBron is going to create
05:41high-percentage shots all night.
05:43Tough shot in the corner.
05:45Long shot, long rebound.
05:46Taking out by Aiden.
05:48DeAndre Aiden, when these two teams met earlier, he had 28 points back in the nation's capital.
05:55LaRabia trying to go baseline, runs into a man.
05:57And Jake then will reset with LeBron.
06:02A little shake and bake that time.
06:04Rui baseline.
06:06Bit of a late whistle, but it's warranted.
06:09And he'll go to the line and shoot, too.
06:10Yeah, Rui, he does a great job.
06:12Even though he's not a high-volume shooter, he very rarely takes shots that he can't make.
06:18Which is why he shoots good percentages.
06:20Getting to the free-throw line here.
06:22Even though late in the shot clock, taking his time, Will Raleigh didn't give him a space to land there
06:29on the mid-range jumper.
06:30Well, Rui has been in the starting lineup now.
06:33Five of the last four games that Luka missed.
06:37And, of course, he's in there now.
06:39Former Laker assistant right there is Brian Keefe.
06:42And during a tough season, to say the least, plenty of injuries, a couple of deals that really changed the
06:48course of the franchise.
06:49I mean, when you first heard about that, and not only Trae Young, but AD, that is a big change
06:54for them.
06:55Looking forward to next year.
06:56Yeah, huge, huge change for the Wizards.
06:58Kind of going through a reset window, and to bring in Trae Young, you know, Anthony Davis-type players,
07:04that clock is going to start to turn a little faster next season, and they're looking forward to it.
07:09Two on one!
07:10And a pretty good defensive play by Jackson!
07:13Throw it down, LeBron!
07:15What a play by Reeves!
07:18He didn't miss that one.
07:27Look at that tap.
07:29What a play!
07:30Austin Reeves, the delivery.
07:32Carrington got it from the outside.
07:35Drills a three, and it's 11-7.
07:37That's a highlight play at the other end, though.
07:40Well, any time those two are involved, it usually is, isn't it?
07:44Yeah, Austin and LeBron, great chemistry.
07:46Almost without even having to make eye contact, they can make plays.
07:50That one was spectacular.
07:52Did not have any arc at all on that little 10-footer.
07:56No room for error taken by the Wizards.
07:59They played last night, so it's a back-to-back situation for them,
08:03and they got beat very badly by Portland,
08:05and that's a big one-hand dunk by the big fella.
08:09You just mentioned they're getting, you know, beat up pretty good by Portland last night.
08:13You know, these young guys have a lot of pride.
08:15They're going to come back and fight hard tonight,
08:17really try to make this game difficult for the Lakers to get separation in early.
08:21He was an 11-point game at halftime then, as you mentioned,
08:24and it just got away from him.
08:25Leaves for three.
08:27It hits the heel.
08:28Rebound to D.A.
08:29Try it again, Austin.
08:30Here we go.
08:32You can hear the reaction to the crowd.
08:34They figured that one was going down.
08:37Nearing the halfway mark of the first quarter.
08:40End-to-end we go.
08:42Wizards, once again from the outside.
08:44Tell you what, he's made a statement early on.
08:47LeBron Vukcevic, timeout.
08:51Yeah, we go to break here.
08:53You see LeBron and Austin hooking up.
08:56No look.
08:58LeBron looking the ball into the rim.
09:01Two points.
09:03Lakers down one.
09:11Now we've already had a bunch of plays that have really lifted this crowd up already.
09:1512-11, though the Lakers are down.
09:17It's timeout lock-in presented by Price Picks.
09:20Let's check out some of tonight's squares for the Wizards.
09:23Bubb with a more or less of 10.5 points.
09:26And for the Lakers, Rui Hachimura with a more or less of 12.5.
09:30Get in on the action right now on Price Picks app.
09:33Now available in the state of California.
09:36Impressions here for the first six minutes.
09:38Yeah, I mean, I wanted to go back to, you know, Brian Keefe, head coach of the Washington Wizards.
09:43We had the Brooklyn Nets in a couple, a few nights ago.
09:46And, like, coaches that are coaching young teams that aren't winning a lot of games.
09:49Like, it is not an easy job.
09:51And Brian Keefe...
09:53Oh!
09:53Oh!
09:54LeBron!
09:54The lob!
09:55The jab!
09:56Okay, so LeBron...
09:58LeBron just had to remind us that that first missed dunk was a fluke.
10:03He's trying to throw it down from now on every shot.
10:06And they do throw it down with Champagne.
10:09I'll tell you what, though.
10:10LeBron, 20%, just shy of 20% of his baskets this year, have been dunks.
10:17Yeah, Austin and LeBron here.
10:19Just, he's always been a great cutter.
10:21See there from the corner.
10:23Want to put pressure on the rim.
10:24And then the Wizards coming right back.
10:26Twin Champagne.
10:28That's right.
10:28At the rim.
10:29Well, you saw the Wizards get lost defensively when LeBron worked baseline.
10:34They started looking at each other like, I thought you had them.
10:37That rarely works.
10:38Here is Reeves.
10:40That gets deflected.
10:41Carrington tries to run it down and can't.
10:43Right in front of the Laker bench with 4.4 to shoot.
10:47But you see here, the Wizards able to be really aggressive in pick and roll coverage with Austin on the
10:52floor as the ball handler without Luka in the lineup.
10:55So aggressive, two guys on the ball making Austin a pass.
10:57Yeah, this is a much different team when Luka is not.
10:59And not just, don't look at just the scoring and the numbers, just the way he plays and sets things
11:05up as D.A.
11:06Hits a little mid-range.
11:07Good recognition by D.A.
11:09Knowing the shot clock was low, gets to a turnaround over the right shoulder, knocks it down.
11:14Second in the NBA in field goal percentage.
11:16That is what Champagne can do from the outside.
11:20We know his brother can knock down threes and so can he.
11:23Yeah, mom and dad taught him well.
11:25They both can shoot it.
11:26I mean, you see how quickly, though, the Wizards strike back.
11:29Yep.
11:29Right?
11:29They don't waste time.
11:30Lakers score.
11:31They come right back and look for a great shot early in the clock.
11:33Young players, young legs, trying to get down there.
11:36Reeves short.
11:37And he'll go to the line and shoot two.
11:40See DeAndre here catching it with four seconds left.
11:43And instead of throwing up a shot from further distance, he got to a spot that he was comfortable pulling
11:51up and making that shot late in the clock.
11:53Good look by DeAndre.
11:54Now, let's get you the Lakers caught up.
11:56They've won two in a row, 14 to 16.
11:58They've had a, or they have a 10-game home winning streak.
12:02How about this right now from Jock in the Box.
12:05Hot Ness is back with spicy jalapenos, onion rings, and gooey pepper jack cheese.
12:09Welcome to Jock in the Box.
12:13As Luke Kennard comes in, Lakers are 13-2 in March, and you've been on teams when you get it
12:18rolling like this, it's a lot of fun, and you just try to keep it rolling.
12:21Yeah, and this is a great time to get it rolling, like veteran team that has been, you know, not
12:27waiting for the playoffs, but the scent of the playoffs is a different scent.
12:31And so for the team to feel really good about who they are right now is great.
12:36They have a chance to win 15 games here in the month of March.
12:39Remember, Lakers played a ball.
12:40Look at LaRavia!
12:42Great defensive play, and then Austin gets fouled.
12:46Boy, that's what Jake has been doing.
12:48The scoring hasn't been there, but everything else has.
12:51He started the game, that last game of the road trip in Indiana.
12:56His defense got everything going.
12:58Everything.
12:59Similar play here, just getting after the ball.
13:01And again, you have to have players on your team that aren't worried about trying to score the ball to
13:07impact winning.
13:08And that's why Jake LaRavia, who's played every game this season, consistently plays big minutes every night.
13:14And he did not score the other night, but he contributed again.
13:16That's why we don't harp on it.
13:18We just want to remind everybody that he's in there contributing.
13:22And Austin, once again, trying to get to the rim.
13:24I mean, there's not a lot of players in the NBA that can get to the rim as easily as
13:27Austin, are there?
13:28So crafty with the basketball and his ability to get to the free throw line, which he's doing here,
13:33that also makes him a really difficult cover.
13:36Now, Laker fans, gear up for your next adventure this spring with a premium rental car for a great price.
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13:55Austin has four assists already.
13:57Hasn't seen the ball going from the field.
13:59But as a scorer, getting to the free throw line is how you develop rhythm or sustain rhythm.
14:05We'll see if those free throws can get Austin going.
14:07Well, we're here the other night, a couple of nights ago, and he had a slow start.
14:10It wound up with almost 30.
14:12Look at this ball fake.
14:13Trying to get it over Aiton.
14:15He altered that shot.
14:16Now, Arabia.
14:17Reeves.
14:18Kennard.
14:19All the way.
14:20Kick it out to Rui.
14:21Pretty good ball movement right now for the Lakers.
14:23And they'll reset it with Reeves.
14:25Here he is.
14:25Once again, getting to the rim.
14:27And he couldn't finish.
14:29Now, you got to get back.
14:31And Reeves does very well to avoid them having numbers.
14:36Eight is kind of out on top that time.
14:39It's a little on big.
14:40And again, DeAndre stays with him.
14:43Yeah, the Lakers, physically their size, which is why we talked about them dominating the paint and the interior in
14:48this game.
14:49Really difficult to shoot over DeAndre there.
14:51In and out.
14:52Heartbreak for Reeves.
14:54Boy, he launched that one.
14:55So, heartbreak for him.
14:57And Reeves is 0 for 5 to start the game.
15:00Although, as Derek mentioned, he's delivered four very delicious assists so far here tonight.
15:08Trying to move in is Sharif Cooper.
15:11That's good interior pass.
15:13And getting it underneath is Anthony Gill.
15:15He just turned and shot.
15:17Couldn't score.
15:21Still with nine double-digit point games this year.
15:24Eight went to the dribble.
15:25Threw it away.
15:26Got himself a little anxious that time.
15:30They spin away from Reeves.
15:32Controlling it.
15:34And here comes Cooper.
15:36All the way.
15:36He can't score.
15:37What's up with the layups here tonight so far?
15:39Both ends.
15:40Both sides.
15:42Yeah, both teams, you know, respecting the athleticism and the size and kind of almost anticipating that shot blocking.
15:50I mean, we talk about it.
15:53And we'll talk about it when we come back.
15:54Kennard is not just a three-point shooter.
15:56And Fish will explain and expand on that after this.
15:59Yeah, he is not just a three-point shooter.
16:01As you see here, going left.
16:03Getting on balance.
16:04Spinning back over the left shoulder.
16:06Hand down.
16:07Man down.
16:08Luke Kennard.
16:09Two points.
16:14World-famous Laker girls during the timeout.
16:17Time now for Chipotle Difference Maker.
16:20This guy certainly would be making a difference this evening.
16:22We're talking about the Don.
16:23Little Luka magic.
16:24Just look at some of those numbers.
16:26First player in Laker history with 2,000 points, 500 assists, and 100 steals in a single season.
16:32And you know the great history of this franchise.
16:3615th 40-point game the other night.
16:38He had 41-6 in the last 12.
16:40So, Derek Fisher, I ask you.
16:42Yes, we're on the Laker telecast.
16:44But as objectively as you can tell me, why doesn't he get more MVP consideration?
16:50I mean, he's in the conversation, but he's normally not thrown in the first two or three players.
16:56Why not?
16:56What do you think?
16:57I mean, I believe most of the narrative around MVP is formed going into the All-Star break.
17:06Like, good point.
17:07One of the best players on the top teams are normally kind of already baked into the voters' minds.
17:14And so, Luka's run in March and coming out of All-Star break, it's been an added conversation, but not
17:23part of the main conversation of Shea Gilgis,
17:25Limby, Joker, Jalen Brown type guys.
17:28I mean, he's basically averaging 33-and-a-half, 8-and-8.
17:33And, of course, he's got this team currently in the third seed and playing great basketball.
17:37Definitely MVP type numbers.
17:39Sobrani gets some early action again.
17:41Which has just been great to see, great for his development, getting the experience of playing against NBA-caliber players.
17:51He's been doing a great job for South Bay and the G League.
17:53As you see there, he picks up the foul.
17:56But really getting a chance to get into the game early, play next to starters and All-Star level players,
18:02that's how you better evaluate what he can do.
18:05Him always getting late minutes after the games are decided, you don't really get a true look at what he's
18:11capable of doing.
18:11Yeah, I want to get to that assist the other night in a moment.
18:13How about backstage Lakers?
18:14Rui made a return to his homeland during the offseason to help grow the game of basketball in Japan.
18:19And he visited several of his favorite places that helped shape him.
18:23And Showtime reunites for a legendary moment honoring their Hall of Fame coach, Pat Riley,
18:28as he's forever immortalized with a statue in Star Plaza.
18:31Backstage Lakers tomorrow night, right after the post-game show.
18:35It wasn't a highlight assist, so to speak, but it was the whole thing in the big picture was a
18:41highlight
18:42when he assisted Bronny for the bucket the other evening.
18:45I don't know who wouldn't call it a highlight, Billy.
18:47Well, you know what I'm saying.
18:48It was just, boom, you take it and shoot it.
18:50You know what I mean?
18:51A simple basketball play to your point.
18:54But it was definitely a historic moment.
18:56Yes.
18:57A father-son assist in an NBA game.
19:00And, I mean, just phenomenal to see and experience.
19:03And they're both on the court here again in the first quarter tonight.
19:07Yeah, as LeBron said, pretty cool moment for us and our entire family.
19:12And you know those guys went out in the backyard.
19:14Probably still do.
19:15Here's a steal.
19:16All by himself.
19:19Gill has the steal and the slam.
19:22Those entry passes to players at the elbow, kind of, you know, top of the key area.
19:27Bounce passes are always tough to get there safely and give the Wizards credit
19:32being active defensively.
19:34Here's Bronny, attacks and scores!
19:38Just like you're saying.
19:39A Bron senior and Bron junior pick and roll.
19:43I love it.
19:43It's difficult to cover.
19:45Bronny able to get down the lane with the floaters.
19:47How focused do they right now being on the floor together?
19:51Another special moment here for these Lakers.
19:54And for the James father and son.
19:57That one is from outside and it falls right in the lap of Kennard.
20:02And again, the skill set is more than just shooting the three, Malou.
20:05It is.
20:06You saw it earlier.
20:07He had to pull up two and an offensive rebound tip for two points as well.
20:12And he can create a little bit.
20:13Danny.
20:14He is capable.
20:16He's just always played that off-the-ball role.
20:18Yeah.
20:18But he's a capable basketball player at every level.
20:20LeBron knows he's up against it time-wise and it was fumbled out of bounds.
20:26See here.
20:28Father-son pick and roll.
20:30That's...
20:30I mean, think about when Bronny was a kid.
20:32They maybe used to do that messing around.
20:34But to be doing that in the NBA game is amazing.
20:37This Lakers team having so much fun during this successful run over the last few weeks.
20:43But they are in a bit of a battle here.
20:45Up by only one.
20:46Shot clock is off.
20:48Wizards have control of it.
20:49Will Riley.
20:50He's underneath.
20:51Can't score.
20:52It's knocked around.
20:53Out of bounds.
20:54So they will get a shot with 1.4 left in the quarter.
20:58Good attempt there by Riley.
21:00Got to a spot where he can knock it down.
21:02Lakers couldn't come up with a defensive rebound.
21:04See if they can get a stop here with 1.4 seconds left in this quarter.
21:09Wilton went to Illinois.
21:10Of course, they're having great success this year.
21:13Underneath.
21:13Oh, that's a beautiful play.
21:15And the Lakers cannot let them get it that close to the bucket baseline.
21:19And the quarter is over.
21:21Yeah, late in that baseline out of bounds possession.
21:24LeBron got caught.
21:26Ball watching a little bit and got the baseline cut.
21:29As you see here, Austin to LeBron over the top.
21:33Lakers down one.
21:34Here at Crypto.com Radio.
21:41Come on downtown.
21:43Depending on the time of day.
21:44How long it might take you to get there.
21:46How about this?
21:47The out of bounds play, Fish.
21:48Yeah, late in the quarter.
21:49You see there almost 5 seconds.
21:52And normally you guys don't cut off the baseline corner that way on a baseline situation.
21:56But LeBron got caught ball watching and Wizards scored two there in the first.
22:02Second quarter begins.
22:03Canard trying to play a little defense.
22:05Coming up short is Cooper.
22:07So the Lakers have Jax, Vando, Bronny, LeBron, and Luke Canard on the floor.
22:13Those are the 5.
22:14You've got Watkins, Hardy, Cooper, Gill, and Riley for Washington.
22:20Well, the Lakers in that first quarter shooting almost 53%, Washington at 48%.
22:26LeBron ties the bully his way in.
22:28Wanted the foul.
22:29Didn't get it.
22:30Threw it up.
22:31Just hoping that's not.
22:32Here they are in transition.
22:34Like you said, Fish, they're going to take it and they're going to run with it.
22:37Yeah, young teams for sure.
22:39All NBA teams, but especially young teams that don't have that all-star Hall of Fame guy
22:44that they can get the ball too late in the clock.
22:46They put an extreme emphasis on scoring early in transition.
22:50Wizards will rally at the basket for two.
22:53Well, offensively, Washington scoring there in the bottom five.
22:58And rating-wise offensive, they're next to last.
23:01And when you look at the defensive numbers, they are right down at the bottom.
23:05But you would expect that.
23:07Double digits in the point differential in the negative for them.
23:11LeBron has to get it.
23:13Now it's Canard.
23:13There he is.
23:14Corner of the key.
23:15Pull up for Finney.
23:15Got to get a bounce.
23:16It nearly did.
23:18Jack's got a hand on it.
23:19Take it by the Wizards.
23:20Yeah, a few of the Lakers shots in and out tonight.
23:22We've seen Austin have a few of his looks go in and out that way.
23:26But those are quality looks.
23:28If the Lakers continue to get those, they'll start to go down.
23:31More efficient.
23:31Yeah, a bit of a brick that time by Hardy as he came down in transition and pulling up.
23:36Here's Bronny.
23:38And good position.
23:40And the dunk follow that time by Jax.
23:42All starting with the double team on LeBron.
23:45Sprays it out to Bronny.
23:47But now the Wizards defense is in rotation.
23:49And that opens up Jackson Hayes' offensive rebound opportunity.
23:52And we know all that Jackson Hayes can do on the roll as a roll band.
23:56And he's trying to get a lob and a dunk.
23:57So dynamic.
23:58Puts a ton of pressure on the rim.
24:00Adds a lot of value even when he doesn't get the basketball.
24:03He's able to get the putback.
24:04And also, let's talk about him challenging shots right there.
24:07Well, first, we'll take a look at him on the other end.
24:09So you saw there two guys go to LeBron.
24:11Bronny with the three and the contest.
24:13And that gives Jackson Hayes a free lane with the numbers advantage to get the strong putback at the rim.
24:19You know, the other night he had five blocks.
24:21Most that he's had in a Laker uniform.
24:23And that was a solid follow-up to a double-double effort the night before.
24:28For the game before.
24:30For three.
24:31And that's Hardy, who wasn't even close the time before.
24:34And he said, I can make a shot.
24:36He does.
24:36Drills it.
24:37One of those young players that came over from Dallas with Anthony Davis.
24:41And he's a capable score.
24:42He's kind of gotten out of the rotation in Dallas.
24:45But he is a capable, capable score at all three levels.
24:48Not just shooting the threes.
24:49How about the Lakers?
24:50They get buried right now in the three-point action.
24:53They don't have a three yet.
24:55That's an air ball taken by James.
24:57Now goes to LeBron up ahead for Jax.
25:00Jax is going to go to the rim.
25:01Here he goes!
25:03Two-hand jam with authority, big fella.
25:08Okay.
25:09At first, I thought LeBron, the pass to Jackson,
25:11was too early for him to catch it.
25:13I didn't know he was going to be able to finish the play
25:15as strong as he did.
25:17Went to the dribble.
25:18He saw that he was rim-seeking that time.
25:21Underneath.
25:22Blocked by James.
25:23Great play by LeBron.
25:25Now it's over to Bronny.
25:27Bronny.
25:28Hand-off to Vando.
25:29He's trying to get to the rim, and a foul is called.
25:33Yeah, defense to offense.
25:35And, I mean, you see here, man, LeBron over the top with the air pass.
25:40Jackson comes down and sees the rim.
25:43And Anthony Gill made his business decision a little bit too late.
25:49Jackson, hey, strong to the basket.
25:50And then LeBron, one of the best late shot blockers in the game.
25:57Got the Lakers out in transition.
25:58Yeah, here's Vando, a 64-percenter.
26:00He's now appeared in four straight games in at least 10 minutes in the previous three.
26:04All right, Laker fans, you know the drill.
26:07Fish wants to eat.
26:09Tacos are on the line.
26:11If the Lakers do win, you're going to score a couple of free tacos with a drink purchase from Drug
26:15in the Box tomorrow.
26:19Mike, you got more on Jackson, his defense.
26:21Yeah, Billy, you were pointing out, right, the blocked shots that have been going up late.
26:24If you look at his last six games, he's averaging almost three blocks a game.
26:28Now, most of the seasons he's been closer to, like, .6.
26:31You're going to have to ask him afterwards that maybe he's just picking things up a little quicker or something's
26:34clicked in his mind.
26:35But you're right, Billy, it's really been up lately.
26:37Yeah, that's good.
26:37When you get a chance to talk to him, that is obviously one of the questions.
26:42He's had multiple blocks, Hayes, in five straight.
26:45The longest run, Mike, in his entire 430-game career.
26:50Having multiple blocks here is James, the scoop, and he couldn't score, but he'll shoot free throws.
26:55Yeah, I mean, yes, Jackson Hayes, you know, just the activity level.
26:58And it also is a symbol of, like, the team defensively continuing to get anchored,
27:04understanding their rotations and coverages and being in the right spots.
27:08And that's how Jackson's able to continue to impact the game defensively.
27:11After this from Morongo, you tell me why the Laker defense is better.
27:15How about this now?
27:15Morongo.
27:23I mean, you're a pretty good defensive player yourself.
27:25What makes a good defensive player?
27:28The biggest thing is the mindset.
27:30Yeah.
27:31And deciding to focus on being good on that end of the floor.
27:35And, you know, Marcus Smart, who's not playing tonight, I think has impacted this team tremendously
27:40in terms of his commitment to that end of the floor.
27:43Jake LaRavia's commitment to that end of the floor.
27:45Jared Vanderbilt.
27:46You're saying it's Jackson Hayes.
27:47It really is.
27:49You know, this team has bought in, and I think they understood coming out of All-Star break.
27:53That's the end of the floor that needed to change the most.
27:56And they've been able to make a difference there.
27:59Wizards pull up 70-footer.
28:01Left side, right hand.
28:03That's off.
28:03Jameer Watkins tried that jump shot.
28:05Now, LeBron will bring it into the attacking zone.
28:08LeBron wants to go to the rim.
28:09Here he goes.
28:10He gets rejected.
28:12Hayes count it.
28:13And one with LeBron on the deck.
28:18And LeBron's pressure on the rim.
28:20He didn't get the whistle or the foul.
28:23But, again, his commitment to get into the basket, it forces two to three Wizards to come over to him.
28:29And then, again, Jackson Hayes, to his credit, continues to pursue the ball, get to the front of the basket,
28:35and get the put-back opportunity.
28:39So, LeBron, he's all right.
28:40He's up and talking to Josh Tivin, the crew chief tonight.
28:44Josh Tivin, Sean Corbin, and Pat O'Connell are three referees tonight here at Crypto.com Arena.
28:52Again, tomorrow night, we're right back at it.
28:56It's the Cleveland Cavaliers.
28:57So, now you've got a real contender coming in tomorrow night.
29:01It's going to be a nice barometer game for the Lakers.
29:03It will be.
29:04Second night, it will back-to-bat.
29:05No Luka tonight.
29:07He'll be back tomorrow night.
29:09And so, it'll be really interesting to also see how the minutes are managed tonight, considering tomorrow.
29:14But, knowing the Lakers want to continue to win every game that they get the opportunity to win.
29:19There is a bit of an equalizer there playing tonight, too.
29:22Jackson Hayes is running the floor, and his teammates are finding him.
29:27LeBron, not only one of the greatest transition scorers of all time,
29:31but also one of the great transition passers in the history of the game.
29:3511-0 fish as LeBron clicks again on the assist department on the outside.
29:42Hardy off target.
29:43See if they can add to this 11-0 run.
29:45They score here.
29:45We might see a Washington timeout.
29:49Reeves with the Lakers on top by seven.
29:52Canard, and reaching from behind and knocking it away, but fouling him.
29:58And, LeBron, as you see, man, the best players, their eyes are always up.
30:03And so, and teammates know when they're going to be rewarded.
30:08And Jackson does a phenomenal job, even sometimes when he doesn't receive the ball,
30:12just doing a good job of running the floor and putting pressure on the defense to get themselves back.
30:17I think they may review this.
30:20The lamp is going to be lit.
30:23And we're going to get a review.
30:27Review early in this game.
30:29Yeah.
30:29We'll see if it's worth it.
30:35After review, the defender legally gets to the basketball, and it is a legal play.
30:39The challenge is successful.
30:40Calls being overturned to a no call.
30:42In the immediate aftermath, the ball goes to Watkins of Washington.
30:45It'll be Washington ball below free throw line on the side with 24 on the shot clock.
30:51You know, Billy, coaches are always trying to hack trust from their players and vice versa.
30:57And Vuktervich told him to challenge it, and it kind of speaks to, like, certain players you kind of know
31:03when they say challenge you.
31:04Right, right, right.
31:04You're going to do it.
31:05It's a different decision.
31:07And even though it's early in this game, it was a risky challenge, but it was the right call.
31:12Well, here's the deal.
31:13He would have picked up his third foul.
31:14So there was a, not only did he make a clean play, but he didn't want that third foul here
31:19with six and a half to play in the second quarter.
31:2338-33.
31:23Lakers' biggest lead, seven.
31:25Washington's led by four.
31:26We've had ten lead changes in this game already.
31:30The second worst record in the NBA belongs to Washington.
31:35They just snapped a 16-game losing streak the other day.
31:39Good, strong rebound by LeBron.
31:41You have 16 games.
31:43I mean, it starts to get difficult to believe that you can win.
31:51But Luke Kennard is not difficult for him to see the ball go in from the three-point line.
31:56You know, watching him has lost 16 straight five times in franchise history as they score at the other end.
32:02But four of those have come in the last three seasons.
32:05It's really been a struggle as they try to get back to respectability.
32:09Yeah, it really has been.
32:10And, you know, some organizations, like, it's important to actually go to the bottom and build the winning habits again.
32:19And you can't skip those steps sometimes.
32:21And that's what I was talking about Brian Keefe earlier, the head coach of the Washington Wizards.
32:25Like, one of the great human beings and basketball minds in this league.
32:29Here comes LeBron!
32:36So, again, Billy, the first missed dunk was a fluke.
32:42He just confirmed it.
32:43Again, he's just going to dunk every field goal to tip the rest of the night
32:47to make sure that we never question his ability to finish at the rim.
32:53Number 23 for 23 seasons.
33:00Time for Stu's Spotlight.
33:02Brought to you by Baracko.
33:04My man, Stu Lance, hurry up and get back so we can get out of your spotlight, man.
33:07We want you in it.
33:08As you see Austin and LeBron in pick and roll.
33:11The pocket is open.
33:12Austin delivers.
33:13And LeBron with the left-hand finish.
33:15And then here in transition, a little bit of Austin magic over the top to LeBron.
33:20And then just great chemistry and connection by these two guys.
33:24LeBron with the corner cut.
33:25Austin Reeves over the top.
33:27And LeBron with another strong finish at the rim.
33:29Three dunks for your guy right there, Fish.
33:31And three dunks also for Jackson Hayes tonight.
33:35Continue to punish the Wizards in the painted area.
33:38Lakers with a 26-20 advantage so far in this game.
33:43Lakers, the only thing they're not really doing well, obviously, is shoot threes.
33:46They're one for six.
33:52They battle for it underneath.
33:54Foul's going to be called on the Lake Show.
33:56Yeah, Wizards just doing a good job of hustling there.
33:59And, you know, sometimes in pick and roll situations when the bigs get into rotation,
34:05their body comes off of their offensive player.
34:09And then Vukovic able to get to the front of the basket.
34:13Jake LaRabia saving two points there.
34:15Again, second-worst record for Washington.
34:17They're a half game in front of the Pacers, if you will,
34:20and a half game or half game behind the Pacers, half game in front of the Nets.
34:25They're all battling for that bottom and the best.
34:29Fuel your day at Extra Mile.
34:31Fresh food, caffeine, cold drinks, grab it and go.
34:33Extra Mile, let's select Chevron locations.
34:36I'm talking about the best odds to try to get the number one pick.
34:40That's what they're battling for.
34:43Yeah, those are, you know, odds that if you get the pick, you like them.
34:48But it's not.
34:50I mean, the bottom four have great odds to get number one.
34:54If you're going to finish near the bottom, that's where you want to be.
34:58Here is Washington at the other side.
35:00That's not a shot attempt.
35:02There was a whistle before Bob Carrington.
35:06Yeah, and historically, well, this is part of the Laker family.
35:09Champ Laker championship family right there, Anthony Davis.
35:12A.D.
35:14You talk about being fortunate enough to get one of those top four picks.
35:18That's how you end up with one of those guys right there,
35:20as New Orleans did before he came to the Lakers.
35:23But, you know, the 2026 draft, Philly Mack is, it's loaded with a lot of talent.
35:29And so, I think anywhere one through four, you're going to still end up with a franchise cornerstone level player.
35:36Yeah, they've been gearing towards this draft for a while.
35:38It's eight.
35:39Good job underneath protecting the rim.
35:42Unfortunately, it'll go out of bounds, and that didn't touch the rim.
35:46So, just 2.8 remaining on the shot clock, and 4.34 remaining here in half number one.
35:54Laker, 10-point lead.
35:57Gill, fly by LaRabia.
35:59Good play by Gill.
36:00Nice ball fake.
36:02Yeah, good patience.
36:03I mean, Jake did the right thing.
36:05Late in the clock, you want to make him dribble.
36:08Instead of it being an open three-point shot, he shoots kind of a tough running two-point shot.
36:12So, in theory, even though he made it, Jake's closeout took one point.
36:17Yeah, he had to do what he had to do.
36:19Absolutely.
36:20Anthony Gill.
36:21Well, career highs across the board when you look at what he's got.
36:25Points, field goal percentage, rebounds, assists, steals, blocks.
36:29You mentioned that he's got it.
36:31And he played three years at Virginia.
36:35So, he's another one.
36:36You know, we talked about auditions for next year when we were here at the game the other night.
36:44Same thing here with Washington.
36:45They're playing for next year.
36:46Yeah, all of these young players, you know, your status, your spot, your roster spot in this league is, even
36:55if your contract is guaranteed, your spot isn't.
36:57And teams are always looking for opportunities, even if it's not the team that you play on currently.
37:04There are other teams around the league.
37:06There are scouts here from other NBA teams.
37:08Absolutely.
37:08That are watching these guys to try and see if they'd be a good fit elsewhere if it's not in
37:13Washington.
37:13Back in the game in D.C. Gill had nine points and ten rebounds in that game.
37:17So, we knew all about him coming in.
37:20Reeves left side.
37:21Rui for three.
37:22Got it.
37:23Yes, sir.
37:24Rui.
37:26Just a great play by Austin Reeves.
37:28Seven assists.
37:29Yes.
37:29Just doing a great job.
37:30Even though he hasn't shot the three well.
37:32Making plays for his teammates throughout his first half.
37:35He is setting it up again.
37:36Look at that skip pass.
37:38Underneath.
37:38Only Rui could have gotten in another assist.
37:41That combination.
37:42Well, what he's trying to do is just, he wants to be able to give Luka a hard time and
37:47show that he can dominate again without scoring.
37:50You know, you're absolutely correct.
37:51You know, he can just make the team win with just.
37:53That's the priority.
37:54That's the priority.
37:55That's his number one priority.
37:56Yeah.
37:56He's thinking about needling his friend in that regard.
38:00In and out.
38:00No.
38:01Taken by Hachimura.
38:02It's a 13-point game.
38:04This is the biggest Laker lead.
38:05And we have three and a half to play in the first half.
38:09Oh, putting himself in good position was Aiden.
38:11And they found him before he got the basketball.
38:13Yeah, Austin doing a good job so far throughout this first half.
38:18Eyes up.
38:19Reading the defense.
38:21Surveying the floor.
38:22And dropping off.
38:23Just a great bounce pass to Rui.
38:26He's able to finish the playoff.
38:28And Austin Reeves, so far in this game, eight assists.
38:32But the more impressive part, only one turnover to go with those eight dives.
38:36And Lakers have seven turnovers as a team that's turned into eight Wizards points.
38:43They've forced the Wizards into five, but they've actually got more points off of turnovers with ten.
38:48Here's D.A.
38:49He had three blocks the other night in the Laker win over Brooklyn.
38:53That was a 17-point win.
38:55A lot closer than the final score indicates.
38:57In fact, that was the largest lead of the game right at the buzzer.
39:01Yeah, and that's another one of those young teams that, you know, close games in the fourth quarter.
39:05Hard to finish out.
39:07Lakers just wore them down.
39:09Started to get some separation as that game went on.
39:11And so far, the Wizards started out strong after playing last night.
39:15But you can tell their gas tanks are running a little lower.
39:18And the Lakers starting to get some separation.
39:20But key to finish these last three minutes the right way.
39:24Now, Lakers, the best clutch team in the NBA.
39:27Still with the dribble.
39:29Maintaining it.
39:30Reeves.
39:30And he draws contact.
39:32Boy, it's hard not to bite there, isn't it?
39:35Really difficult, especially after a player's, you know, hit you with so many moves.
39:39And Austin's shiftiness.
39:41And he starts to load up like he's going to shoot that basketball.
39:44And it's hard to resist feeling like you want to go up and make a defensive play.
39:48And there, you know, it's an easy call for the referee.
39:51Defender goes from point A to point B.
39:53That's the whistle almost every time.
39:54Fish averaging nearly 30 points a game in the nine games without Luka this year is Austin Reeves.
40:01And overall now, four straight 20-point games.
40:04And averaging 25.5 in that span.
40:08So he's all the way back after getting injured at Christmas and then taking a while to return to the
40:12lineup.
40:14And what allows great scores to really impact the game from that category is their ability to get to the
40:19free throw line.
40:20And so Austin, already in this basketball game, you know, to the free throw line six times.
40:27The Lakers overall as a team up to, you know, 13, 14 attempts, 15 as a team.
40:3314 out of 15 from the free throw line.
40:35And they're making him for once.
40:36All of them, or nearly all of them.
40:38Under the eight and again, it's Austin Reeves.
40:41What a half.
40:42I mean, he's got eight points.
40:43He only has one field goal, but he has nine assists.
40:49And that's just playing the game as it comes, right?
40:52The ball didn't go in for him offensively early.
40:55And instead of him continuing to force shots, he's making plays and giving the ball to his teammates to finish.
41:00That time tried to do a little bit too much.
41:03And it turns into a layup at the other end by Trey Johnson.
41:08So turnover number eight for the Purple and Gold.
41:12Now the attacking zone.
41:14Reeves again and again, he's going to get the whistle.
41:16So he has at least eight free throws here in the first half.
41:20And Austin Reeves playmaking and dropping dimes, driving the baseline.
41:26And anytime you see that low man come over, your eyes immediately go up.
41:29And he's looking for gold jersey.
41:31So serving the defense and good lob pass of DeAndre over the top.
41:37Now this is 22 straight games that Austin has played.
41:41Fish, you know how tough he was.
41:43It was tough to keep him out of the lineup.
41:45He had those bumps and bruises, but it took something big for him finally to start missing some basketball games.
41:51Yeah, and not only something big in terms of physically how he was feeling.
41:56Yeah.
41:56But I think also understanding what the goals and objectives are for this team.
42:01And knowing it was more important for him to be healthy tonight.
42:05March the 30th, as opposed to trying to push through bumps and bruises back in December and January.
42:11You know who used that theory to their advantage?
42:13In baseball, the Dodgers did.
42:15Okay, we're hurt during the regular season, but we're going to be ready to go in the playoffs and into
42:20the World Series.
42:23And it worked out pretty good for the Los Dodgers last season.
42:33LeBron, on his head right there was the defender, and then a little space created, and he found it.
42:40Yeah, some of the best decisions offensively are to actually slow down, not speed up.
42:46Change the pace.
42:46And LeBron did a great job slowing down, holding that defender on his backside, and then still able to get
42:51to the front of the rim.
42:52One minute to play.
42:54It's all of a sudden an 18-point Laker lead.
42:59You see here LeBron operating in pick-and-roll with DeAndre.
43:02DeAndre flips the screen, but watch LeBron pauses, keeps that defender, Champagny, on the backside.
43:08And then once he sees the defense open up, gets back downhill two feet and into the lane for a
43:15layup.
43:15Well, we talked about the Lakers coming off of that long road trip in the first game back,
43:20and you kept talking about how it can be a little sluggish.
43:23They came out with focus and energy tonight.
43:25I mean, a ton of energy for J.J. Redick.
43:28And so important to reestablish yourself as a team.
43:31You know, a few nights ago, their gas tanks were low.
43:34They found a way to win that game versus Brooklyn.
43:37A couple nights without a game, able to sleep in your own bed, get adjusted to the time zone again.
43:43And you could tell right from the start tonight, even though the Wizards were hanging in there,
43:47the Lakers' energy levels were much better.
43:49You see here, defensively, Lakers, they've used some zone here in the second quarter tonight, Billy,
43:54which is something that they did earlier in the season, defensively giving the Wizards different looks.
43:59And we'll see how they work it now on this half-court.
44:03They're out of hounding Carrington on the outside.
44:06He bounces it out of bounds.
44:08So it worked.
44:09And he pointed it out.
44:11It did.
44:11They play some zone and then, you know, shifting into matching up to man late in the clock.
44:16But, you know, against good players, you have to show them different looks and different coverages.
44:20Lakers doing that there on that possession.
44:22LeBron.
44:23Lob underneath.
44:25Lob in the jam.
44:27Well, the first time these two teams met, the Lakers shot over 60%.
44:32What are they shooting right now?
44:3460 and a half percent.
44:37They've got their number.
44:40Three Lakers in double digits and LeBron and Reeves have 15 of the Lakers' 16 assists.
44:47How about that?
44:48All but one.
44:50Carrington with five, with four.
44:53Ruiz is hanging out right behind him.
44:55Now into the leg.
44:57Cooper!
44:59And, oh, they bailed him out.
45:00They bailed him out right at the end.
45:03And that's why the smile from Rui and the crowd rains the boos down from the upper deck.
45:12Well, Rui, I mean, he—that was close.
45:16I don't know if he—if he hit him.
45:19But he showed so much discipline, you know, eight to nine seconds before that,
45:25when he didn't try to foul Carrington when he was about to shoot the ball.
45:31And then there just couldn't resist.
45:33Watch that right arm come down just a little bit.
45:36Touch on the wrist.
45:37And that's an easy call for the official,
45:40especially once he saw that ball start to go way off to the left of the basket.
45:45And so Rui just got caught late there bailing him out with the foul.
45:49Well, Cooper, the family, knows all about Crypto.com Arena.
45:54His sister played for the Sparks back in 2021, just a few years ago.
45:59One of my favorite players and favorite people in the W and just in general.
46:04Amazing young woman.
46:06And the Cooper family is a great family, basketball family,
46:09and good to see Sharifah out here get an opportunity in Washington.
46:12Long distance, dial it up.
46:15And that's the end of the half.
46:17Yeah, Austin still not seeing that three-point field goal attempts go in there in the first half,
46:24but the Lakers up 21 without the three going down so far tonight.
46:29All right, here's Mike with J.J.
46:30J.J., pretty impressive and efficient second quarter there on offense,
46:34especially what did you see from your team get rolling there?
46:36The ball stopped rattling in and out.
46:39That helps usually in basketball.
46:41When there's five of those shots in a quarter, it's a little odd.
46:44All right, for sure.
46:45Second half.
46:45What was that movie?
46:47I think it took place with the Washington Huskies or something.
46:51No, maybe that's a different movie.
46:52There's a basketball movie about that where they put a little electronic chip in the ball,
46:56and every time I got near the rim, they would make it rattle off.
46:59I wish I knew, and I totally believe you.
47:01I totally believe you.
47:02Zone was good for us in the second quarter.
47:03We slowed them down, held them to whatever, 18 points in the second quarter.
47:07Zone was good for us.
47:07Thank you, J.J.
47:08Billy, let's get on that.
47:10Okay, let's research what movie he's talking about there.
47:12I'm sure we'll already hear about it on Twitter.
47:14Until then, let's go back to El Segundo and catch Geter and the group.
47:17Lakers up 65-44.
47:19There you go.
47:24Kyle Marina, glad you were with us on Spectrum Sportsnet or the app.
47:29Take a look at the Lexus keys to the game that Fish, where he thought about these for weeks.
47:35How are they turning out?
47:37Well, I mean, Luke made his only three-point attempt.
47:40Hopefully, he'll get a few more this half to continue to get some shot opportunities.
47:44But we see DeAndre Aydin on his way to that double-double look that we needed,
47:50dominating on the inside with his strength and physicality.
47:54And then the Lakers overall dominating the interior, 36-24 paint points.
47:59And then the rebounds doubling up the Wizards, 27-13.
48:05Mike Trudell, what'd you learn?
48:08Well, I mean, you think of that second quarter,
48:10and that was really where the difference was made in the scoreboard.
48:1340-17 was the gap.
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