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Halftime Report
Down three at the end of the first quarter, the Lakers now have the lead. Sitting on a score of 70-69, they have looked like the better team, but there’s still two more quarters to play. The finale is shaping up to be a lot like these teams’ last head-to-head, which was decided by just two points.
If the Lakers keep playing like this, they’ll bump their record up to 33-28 in no time. On the other hand, the Wizards will have to make due with a 9-50 record unless they turn things around (and fast).
Who’s Playing
Washington Wizards @ Los Angeles Lakers
Current Records: Washington 9-49, Los Angeles 32-28
How To Watch
- When: Thursday, February 29, 2024 at 10:30 p.m. ET
- Where: Crypto.com Arena — Los Angeles, California
- TV: Monumental Sports Network
- Follow: CBS Sports App
- Online streaming: fuboTV (Try for free. Regional restrictions may apply.)
- Ticket Cost: $35.00
What to Know
The Lakers will be playing the full four quarters on Thursday, but they’re expected to have things wrapped up well before that. Having just played yesterday, they will get right back to it and host the Washington Wizards at 10:30 p.m. ET on February 29th at Crypto.com Arena. The timing is sure in the Lakers’ favor as the team sits on three straight wins at home while the Wizards have not had much luck on the away from home, with five straight road losses.
Even though the Lakers have not done well against the Clippers recently (they were 2-8 in their previous ten matchups), they didn’t let the past get in their way on Wednesday. The Lakers managed a 116-112 victory over the Clippers. The win was all the more spectacular given the Lakers were down 21 points with 11:45 left in the fourth quarter.
It was another big night for LeBron James, who went 7 for 12 from beyond the arc en route to 34 points and 8 assists. He hasn’t dropped below 25 points for four straight games.
We saw a pretty high 245-over/under line set for the Wizards’ previous matchup, but the actual score was more down to earth. They took a 123-112 hit to the loss column at the hands of Golden State on Tuesday. The Wizards have struggled against the Warriors recently, as their contest on Tuesday was their fourth consecutive lost matchup.
Even though the team lost, they still had their share of impressive performances. One of the best came from Tyus Jones, who dropped a double-double on 14 points and 17 assists. He didn’t help the Wizards’ cause all that much against the Cavaliers on Sunday but the same can’t be said for this match. Marvin Bagley III was another key contributor, almost dropping a double-double on 20 points and nine rebounds.
The Lakers’ win bumped their record up to 32-28. As for Washington, they have been struggling recently as they’ve lost 18 of their last 20 games, which put a noticeable dent in their 9-49 record this season.
This contest is one where the number of possessions is likely to be a big factor: The Lakers haven’t given up the ball easily this season, having only averaged 13.2 turnovers per game. However, it’s not like the Wizards struggle in that department as they’ve been averaging only 13.6 turnovers per game. Given these competing strengths, it’ll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
The Lakers came out on top in a nail-biter against the Wizards in their previous matchup back in December of 2022, sneaking past 119-117. Will the Lakers repeat their success, or do the Wizards have a better game plan this time around? We’ll find out soon enough.
Odds
Los Angeles is a big 9.5-point favorite against Washington, according to the latest NBA odds.
The oddsmakers had a good feel for the line for this one, as the game opened with the Lakers as a 10.5-point favorite.
The oddsmakers are expecting fireworks from the offense and set the over/under at a high 242.5 points.
See NBA picks for every single game, including this one, from SportsLine’s advanced computer model. Get picks now.
Series History
Los Angeles and Washington both have 5 wins in their last 10 games.
- Dec 18, 2022 – Los Angeles 119 vs. Washington 117
- Dec 04, 2022 – Los Angeles 130 vs. Washington 119
- Mar 19, 2022 – Washington 127 vs. Los Angeles 119
- Mar 11, 2022 – Los Angeles 122 vs. Washington 109
- Apr 28, 2021 – Washington 116 vs. Los Angeles 107
- Feb 22, 2021 – Washington 127 vs. Los Angeles 124
- Nov 29, 2019 – Los Angeles 125 vs. Washington 103
- Mar 26, 2019 – Los Angeles 124 vs. Washington 106
- Dec 16, 2018 – Washington 128 vs. Los Angeles 110
- Nov 09, 2017 – Washington 111 vs. Los Angeles 95
