Doncic and James lead the way, and the Lakers shoot 61% from the field in a 142-111 rout of Wizards
WASHINGTON (AP) — Luka Doncic had a triple-double by halftime and finished with 37 points, 13 assists and 11 rebounds in the Los Angeles Lakers’ 142-111 rout of the Washington Wizards on Friday night.
Doncic had 26 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds in the first two quarters. His 10th rebound came in the waning seconds of the second.
The last time a player had a triple-double in the first half, according to Sportradar, was when Jalen Johnson of the Atlanta Hawks did it Dec. 5. Johnson had 11 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds in the half.
LeBron James scored 20 points for the Lakers, looking spry at age 41 when he threw down an alley-oop in the first half with only his left hand. And he was not finished dunking.
Fans were chanting for James’ son, Bronny, to come in the game before the midpoint of the third quarter. That finally happened with 5:29 left in the fourth, and even the younger James broke free for a one-handed dunk on a breakaway.
Deandre Ayton had 28 points and 13 rebounds. He was 12 of 14 from the field, and the Lakers shot 61% overall.
Malaki Branham scored 17 points for the Wizards, who were trying for their first three-game winning streak of the season but were on the second night of a back-to-back.
Washington Capitals star Alex Ovechkin was in the crowd, and injured Wizards star Trae Young wore Ovechkin’s jersey on the bench.
The Lakers led 77-48 at halftime and pushed their advantage as high as 38 points in the third quarter.
Up next
Lakers: At New York on Sunday night.
Wizards: Host Sacramento on Sunday night.
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AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba