LOS ANGELES — With their newly acquired superstar sidelined by suspension, the Los Angeles Lakers turned to their ageless leader for inspiration and delivered a commanding performance against one of the NBA’s weakest teams.
LeBron James recorded a triple-double with 21 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds, powering the Lakers to a 120-101 victory over the Washington Wizards on Monday night at Crypto.com Arena. Austin Reaves, Jaxson Hayes and Luke Kennard each added 19 points in a balanced attack that extended Los Angeles’ strong recent form.
The win marked the Lakers’ 15th victory in their past 17 games and improved their record to 49-26. It also came without Luka Doncic, who sat out after receiving a one-game suspension from the NBA for accumulating 16 technical fouls this season. Doncic, who leads the league in scoring at 33.7 points per game, is expected to return Tuesday night against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
James, playing at 41 years and 90 days old, looked refreshed after two days off between games. He finished 8-of-16 from the field, adding highlight-reel lob dunks and fast-break finishes. The triple-double was his third of the season and the 125th of his 23-year career, moving him to fifth all-time in the category. At his age, James once again became the oldest player in NBA history to achieve the feat, surpassing his own previous mark of 41 years and 79 days.
Sunday’s rare practice paid clear dividends. Lakers coach JJ Redick had emphasized the value of film study and on-court reps to clean up details with the playoffs approaching.
“The value is being able to continue to improve,” Redick said before the game. “We’ve placed a heavy emphasis on what we’re teaching in film and what we’re cleaning up in film, because we haven’t had court time to do that. So [Sunday], it was some of the game clean-up stuff. All the guys got some reps doing some things that they probably won’t do during a real game.”
The Lakers put those lessons into action immediately. They closed the first half on a dominant 38-13 run, taking a 21-point lead into halftime. Although the Wizards briefly cut the deficit to 10 points late in the third quarter, James and his teammates quickly reasserted control, outscoring Washington 29-24 in the final period to secure the comfortable victory.
Reaves stepped up in Doncic’s absence to handle primary ballhandling duties. He finished with 19 points and nine assists, converting 11 of 12 free throws despite a modest 4-of-11 shooting night from the field and 0-of-4 from three-point range.
The supporting cast delivered efficiently. Backup center Jaxson Hayes went a perfect 8-of-8 from the field for 19 points, including a three-pointer in the closing minutes. Luke Kennard provided sharp shooting off the bench, going 4-of-5 from beyond the arc en route to his 19 points. Deandre Ayton added 12 points on a flawless 5-of-5 shooting, along with seven rebounds and three blocks.
Collectively, the Lakers limited the impact of Doncic’s absence, winning for the 12th time in their past 13 games through balanced scoring and defensive focus.
The Wizards, tied for the league’s worst record at 17-58, offered little resistance. Washington has dropped 18 of its last 19 games, struggling mightily on both ends of the floor against a motivated Lakers squad.
For Los Angeles, the game served as more than just another win against a struggling opponent—it was a chance to build rhythm and chemistry heading into the postseason push. With Doncic’s return imminent, the Lakers demonstrated depth and resilience, led once again by the timeless excellence of LeBron James.
The victory underscored a simple message in a star-driven league: even without one of their top weapons, this Lakers team has the experience, versatility and leadership to dominate when it counts.