Nothing like playing the Wizards to make a team look elite. Los Angeles destroyed Washington on Friday night, with Luka Don\u010di\u0107 ending the first half with a triple-double.<\/p>\n
The Lakers\u2019 offense was too much for the Wizards to handle, and the game quickly got out of hand.<\/p>\n
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Long term, there\u2019s not much to take away from this game beyond the Wizards being bad and the Lakers being better.<\/p>\n
So, let\u2019s dive into the win<\/a>. As always, grades are based on expectations for each player. A \u201cB\u201d grade represents the average performance for that player.<\/p>\n LeBron James<\/p>\n 30 minutes, 20 points, 3 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 steals, 3 turnovers, 1 foul, 8-16 FG, 2-3 3PT, 2-2 FT, +25<\/p>\n I would say LeBron turned back the clock with this performance, but really, he was reminding us that he can do this whenever he wants.<\/p>\n James was zipping around the court, and he had some dazzling dunks that quickly turned this contest into a Lakers home game in Washington.<\/p>\n Thanks to LeBron, the result was secure before the third quarter began.<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n Grade: A<\/p>\n Luka Don\u010di\u0107<\/p>\n 31 minutes, 37 points, 11 rebounds, 13 assists, 3 steals, 5 turnovers, 13-21 FG, 6-13 3PT, 5-7 FT, +21<\/p>\n Luka was an offensive monster in Washington. He obliterated the Wizards. His most impressive basket was a bank shot 3-pointer that left the crowd gasping in amazement.<\/p>\n This was about as good a game as Luka could\u2019ve had.<\/p>\n Grade: A+<\/p>\n Deandre Ayton<\/p>\n 29 minutes, 28 points, 13 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, 3 blocks, 1 turnover, 12-14 FG, 4-4 FT, +30<\/p>\n Ayton scored LA\u2019s first points of this game, and it was a precursor of things to come. He stayed aggressive the rest of the way, ending the night with 28 points.<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n It was also good to see Ayton register three blocks and zero fouls in this game. Ayton had a plus-minus of +30, which was the best on the Lakers.<\/p>\n Grade: A+<\/p>\n Marcus Smart<\/p>\n 27 minutes, 3 points, 1 rebound, 4 assists, 1 steal, 4 turnovers, 1 foul, 1-2 FG, 1-2 3PT, +21<\/p>\n While many Lakers played well, Smart was rather pedestrian in this one. He had a few ill-advised passes that led to turnovers and provided little to nothing offensively.<\/p>\n In this blowout win, his defensive tenacity was minimized because the Lakers were just outscoring the Wizards, especially in the second half. Even so, Smart should\u2019ve played better.<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n Grade: D<\/p>\n Jake LaRavia<\/p>\n 25 minutes, 3 points, 6 rebounds, 1 assist, 3 steals, 1 block, 2 fouls, 1-3 FG, 0-2 3PT, 1-2 FT, +24<\/p>\n Austin Reaves, please come back.<\/p>\n Grade: D<\/p>\n Jaxson Hayes<\/p>\n 14 minutes, 10 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 4-5 FG, 2-2 FT, -3<\/p>\n Hayes played his role well, scoring inside and being a ball of offensive energy off the bench. He had some nice dunks and will showcase that skill as a participant in the Slam Dunk Contest<\/a> during All-Star weekend.<\/p>\n Grade: B+<\/p>\n Gabe Vincent<\/p>\n 18 minutes, 6 points, 2 assists, 1 steal, 2-5 FG, 2-5 3PT, +3<\/p>\n Vincent passed up a wide-open layup to pass the ball to LaRavia for a corner 3-pointer. LaRavia missed and that was the most memorable moment for Vincent in this game.<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n Grade: C-<\/p>\n Rui Hachimura<\/p>\n 18 minutes, 11 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 turnover, 1 foul, 3-5 FG, 2-3 3PT, 3-6 FT, -2<\/p>\n Hachimura did well with the opportunities he was given in Washington. He knocked down a couple of threes and was an efficient scorer.<\/p>\n Grade: B-<\/p>\n Jarred Vanderbilt<\/p>\n 16 minutes, 8 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist, 4 steals, 1 foul, 3-5 FG, 1-2 3PT, 1-2 FT, +7<\/p>\n Vando was a defensive disruptor and an overall positive for the Lakers. His offensive possessions are always going to be an adventure, but he was more good than bad in this game.<\/p>\n Grade: B<\/p>\n Drew Timme<\/p>\n 17 minutes, 4 points, 1 rebound, 3 assists, 1 turnover, 2 fouls, 1-2 FG, 0-1 3PT, 2-2 FT, +17<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n Timme gives LA a two-big lineup<\/a> that Lakers head coach JJ Redick can go to. He didn\u2019t necessarily shine in this game, but he can stretch the floor a little and always brings the energy.<\/p>\n Grade: C-<\/p>\n Bronny James, Maxi Kleber, Dalton Knecht<\/p>\n This trio only played in garbage time, so they will not receive a grade.<\/p>\n JJ Redick<\/p>\n The Lakers won this game easily, and Redick deserves credit for that. Sure, LA fell asleep in the third quarter, but he called timeouts to try to regain control.<\/p>\n The Wizards still won that period, but it wasn\u2019t a disaster, and he was able to empty the bench midway through the fourth, giving his starters some much-needed rest.<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n Grade: B+<\/p>\n Friday\u2019s inactives: Adou Thiero, Chris Ma\u00f1on, Austin Reaves, Nick Smith Jr.<\/p>\n You can follow Edwin on Twitter at\u00a0@ECreates88<\/a>\u00a0or on Bluesky at\u00a0@ecreates88.bsky.social<\/a>.<\/p>\n