Lakers at Wizards
Things are going so bad for the Los Angeles Lakers that not even a matchup against the league's worst team is considered a gimme. The Lakers will look to avoid a fifth consecutive defeat when they visit the Washington Wizards on Friday night. Los Angeles dropped its fourth straight with a 116-107 loss at New York on Thursday in a game that only became close when Knicks superstar forward Carmelo Anthony left with an ankle injury. Lakers star Kobe Bryant realizes the situation is dire. "At this point, I wish we had the Washington Generals on our schedule," he said.
The Wizards played like the Generals during the first month, losing their first 12 games, but they have gone 3-4 since and knocked off the reigning champion Miami Heat 10 days ago. Washington has been playing with a short roster, going without starting point guard John Wall for the entire season and watching backup A.J. Price suffer a broken hand last weekend. Trevor Booker has missed the last 10 games and Trevor Ariza was injured in the win over the Heat.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, TWSN, CSMA
ABOUT THE LAKERS (9-14): Los Angeles was in the midst of a nationally televised embarrassment, giving up 41 points in the first quarter and falling behind by 26 points in the second quarter to the Knicks. Once Anthony departed, the Lakers were able to rally behind Bryant and Metta World Peace to make the final respectable. World Peace scored 13 of his season-high 23 points in the fourth quarter, providing a needed source of offense with Bryant battling back spasms and Pau Gasol sitting out his sixth straight game.
ABOUT THE WIZARDS (3-16): The spate of injuries has ensured plenty of minutes for rookie guard Bradley Beal, the third overall pick in the draft. Beal has a string of six straight games scoring in double figures and has averaged 17.5 points during the last four. Jordan Crawford, who normally comes off the bench, has started at the point in the last two games. Crawford has scored in double figures in eight consecutive games, averaging 19.5 points during that stretch.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. A loss Friday would drop Los Angeles to 9-15, matching the start of the 2002-03 team.
2. Washington erased a 21-point, second-half deficit to beat the Lakers last season, halting a streak of nine straight losses in the series.
3. Bryant has scored 30 points a league-high 12 times - and Los Angeles is 1-11 in those games.