Lakers at Wizards
With Kobe Bryant playing the role of distributor, the Los Angeles Lakers finally have a little life in them. The Lakers' mini push will be put to the test Wednesday at Washington, which has won the first two games of a four-game homestand. One game after recording a triple-double with 12 assists in an overtime victory against Toronto, Bryant handed out 13 more - a season high - in a 106-96 win at Detroit on Tuesday, helping Los Angeles to its second two-game winning streak since a 1-9 start.
The Wizards know all about sharing the basketball, ranking fourth in the league with 24.7 helpers a game after recording 29 in a 107-86 rout of Miami on Monday. John Wall had 13 of those assists against two turnovers as Washington shot 54.2 percent from the floor in a dominant effort. "Probably our best game, from start to finish," head coach Randy Wittman said of his squad, which averaged 116.5 points in sweeping a pair of meetings with the Lakers last season.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, TWC SportsNet (Los Angeles), CSN Mid-Atlantic (Washington)
ABOUT THE LAKERS (5-13): Bryant's 25 assists over his last two games are a result of his teammates' ability to get open and make shots, and leading that charge has been center Jordan Hill and reserve forward Nick Young, who combined for 41 points on 15-of-28 shooting against the Pistons. It was Hill's first 20-point game in more than a month but his 15th double-digit effort in the last 16 contests. Wesley Johnson has also reaped the benefits with an average of 15 points over his last three games.
ABOUT THE WIZARDS (11-5): Washington has thrived on a perimeter game on both sides of the court, a formula that was on full display against Miami. The Wizards, who rank 10th in the NBA in 3-point field-goal percentage defense (33.8), held the Heat to a 2-of-22 showing, while the league's second-most accurate 3-point shooting unit (38.4) buried 10-of-19 triples. Rasual Butler was 3-for-5 from beyond the arc en route to 23 points and is 17-for-27 from 3-point range over the last nine games.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Wall averaged 29.5 points and 11.5 assists in the two wins over the Lakers last season.
2. Bryant is a 40.6 percent shooter from 3-point distance in 29 career games against Washington, his highest mark against any opponent.
3. Wizards F Nene has missed four games in a row with plantar fasciitis and remains questionable.