The Lakers’ Thomas Bryant (31) clings to the rim after dunking against the Washington Wizards during the second half of an NBA basketball game, Sunday, Dec. 18, 2022, in Los Angeles. The Lakers won 119-117. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Austin Reaves #15 of the Los Angeles Lakers handles the ball defended by Jordan Goodwin #7 of the Washington Wizards in the first half at Crypto.com Arena on December 18, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Meg Oliphant/Getty Images)
The Washington Wizards’ Kyle Kuzma (33) drives to the basket against defense from the Lakers’ Thomas Bryant (31) and Austin Reaves (15) during first half of an NBA basketball game Sunday, Dec. 18, 2022, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Russell Westbrook #0 of the Los Angeles Lakers shoots ahead of Kristaps Porzingis #6 of the Washington Wizards in the first half at Crypto.com Arena on December 18, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Meg Oliphant/Getty Images)
The Washington Wizards’ Kristaps Porzingis, right, is defended by the Lakers’ Thomas Bryant during first half of an NBA basketball game Sunday, Dec. 18, 2022, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
The Lakers’ Damian Jones dunks the ball during the first half of their game against the Washington Wizards, Sunday, Dec. 18, 2022, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
The Washington Wizards’ Bradley Beal (3) goes up for a basket during the first half of their game against the Lakers, Sunday, Dec. 18, 2022, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
The Lakers’ Dennis Schroder (17) works around the Washington Wizards’ Monte Morris during first half of an NBA basketball game Sunday, Dec. 18, 2022, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
LeBron James #6 of the Los Angeles Lakers handles the ball defended by Corey Kispert #24 of the Washington Wizards in the first half at Crypto.com Arena on December 18, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Meg Oliphant/Getty Images)
The Washington Wizards’ Deni Avdija (9) shoots under pressure from the Lakers’ Austin Reaves (15) during first half of an NBA basketball game Sunday, Dec. 18, 2022, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Dennis Schroder #17 of the Los Angeles Lakers drives with the ball defended by Bradley Beal #3 of the Washington Wizards in the first half at Crypto.com Arena on December 18, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Meg Oliphant/Getty Images)
The Washington Wizards’ Daniel Gafford (21) goes up for a dunk as the Lakers’ LeBron James (6) looks on during first half of an NBA basketball game Sunday, Dec. 18, 2022, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Lonnie Walker IV #4 of the Los Angeles Lakers shoots defended by Bradley Beal #3 of the Washington Wizards in the first half at Crypto.com Arena on December 18, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Meg Oliphant/Getty Images)
The Washington Wizards’ Bradley Beal (3) puts up a shot under defense by the Lakers’ Lonnie Walker IV (4) during the second half of an NBA basketball game Sunday, Dec. 18, 2022, in Los Angeles. The Lakers won 119-117. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
The Lakers’ LeBron James, left, gets a rebound against the Washington Wizards’ Deni Avdija (9) during first half of an NBA basketball game Sunday, Dec. 18, 2022, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
LeBron James #6 of the Los Angeles Lakers dunks in the first half against the Washington Wizards at Crypto.com Arena on December 18, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Meg Oliphant/Getty Images)
The Lakers’ LeBron James, left, celebrates with Austin Reaves after making a basket assisted by Reaves during the first half of their game against the Washington Wizards on Sunday night at Crypto.com Arena. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Los Angeles Lakers’ LeBron James (6) celebrates with Austin Reaves (15) after making a basket assisted by Reaves during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Washington Wizards, Sunday, Dec. 18, 2022, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Austin Reaves #15 and LeBron James #6 of the Los Angeles Lakers celebrate their point in the first half against the Washington Wizards at Crypto.com Arena on December 18, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Meg Oliphant/Getty Images)
The Lakers’ Russell Westbrook looks to pass after retrieving the ball during first half of an NBA basketball game against the Washington Wizards, Sunday, Dec. 18, 2022, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Lakers head coach Darvin Ham looks at LeBron James, foreground, during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Washington Wizards, Sunday, Dec. 18, 2022, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
The Lakers’ LeBron James goes up for a dunk as the Washington Wizards’ Bradley Beal (3), Monte Morris (22) watch during the second half of an NBA basketball game Sunday, Dec. 18, 2022, in Los Angeles. The Lakers won 119-117. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
The Lakers’ LeBron James flexes his arms after drawing a foul during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Washington Wizards Sunday, Dec. 18, 2022, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
The Lakers’ Dennis Schroder (17) grabs the leg of the Washington Wizards’ Kristaps Porzingis (6) as he dribbles during the second half of an NBA basketball game, Sunday, Dec. 18, 2022, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
The Lakers’ LeBron James shoots against the Washington Wizards’ Kyle Kuzma (33) during the second half of an NBA basketball game, Sunday, Dec. 18, 2022, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
The Lakers’ LeBron James shoots over the Washington Wizards’ Deni Avdija (9) during the second half of an NBA basketball game, Sunday, Dec. 18, 2022, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
The Lakers’ Lonnie Walker IV (4) puts up a shot as the Washington Wizards’ Deni Avdija (9) and Daniel Gafford (21) look on during the second half of an NBA basketball game Sunday, Dec. 18, 2022, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
The Washington Wizards’ Daniel Gafford reacts after dunking in front of the Lakers’ Thomas Bryant (31) during the second half of an NBA basketball game, Sunday, Dec. 18, 2022, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
The Lakers’ Thomas Bryant (31) celebrates after the team defeated the Washington Wizards in an NBA basketball game Sunday, Dec. 18, 2022, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
The Lakers’ LeBron James (6) acknowledges fans after the team’s win over the Washington Wizards in an NBA basketball game Sunday, Dec. 18, 2022, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
LOS ANGELES — Anthony Davis was on the bench again, this time with a foot injury that could keep him out for several weeks. The sight of the Lakers’ All-Star center in street clothes again, however, didn’t deter the Lakers from moving on.
The Lakers avoided any letdown on Sunday night and beat the Washington Wizards in the final seconds, 119-117, at Crypto.com Arena for their third win in four games.
Without Davis, who scored 55 points against the Wizards two weeks ago before injuring his right foot Friday night in a victory over Denver, it was “next man up,” Coach Darvin Ham said. “It sounds cliché, but …”
“And at the end of the day, we still have LeBron and Russ.”
Good thing, too.
As the clock ran down, LeBron James found Thomas Bryant under the basket, who dunked for what proved to be the winning points with 7.1 seconds remaining. James scored 33 points, including a huge dunk of his own with 27.1 seconds left to give the Lakers a 117-115 lead.
Bryant started at center in place of Davis, who was scheduled to meet with doctors later in the evening. Ham said the team would have an update Monday.
“It’s definitely disappointing to have to see him go through this especially after seeing all the work he has put into it,” James said of Davis’ latest injury.
“To have this setback right now, it’s tough on him for sure. I’m just trying to do whatever I can to keep his mind fresh. … We just have to hold down the fort as long as we can until we get our No. 1 guy back.”
Davis watched as the game came down to the final minute.
Austin Reaves, who had turned his ankle earlier in the game, scored on a 9-foot floater that gave the Lakers a 115-111 lead. Wizards’ Daniel Gafford scored on a dunk followed by a short jumper by Bradley Beal to tie the score at 115. Overtime loomed.
But James held the ball near midcourt as the seconds ticked off, briefly lost the ball then got it back before passing it off to Bryant, who finished with 16 points and 10 rebounds to help the Lakers win for the third time in their last four games and hand Washington its 10th straight loss and 13th in 14 games. Former Laker Kyle Kuzma missed a 3-point attempt for Washington with 2.1 seconds left.
Ham praised Bryant’s effort, saying that his tough play and no-quit attitude were great examples of how the Lakers (13-16) need to work together so they won’t lose ground in the standings.
“We all have to grab a part of the rope and pull as hard as we can in the same direction,” Ham said.
Ham added that, “He’s going to use all his will, all his power, all his ability to lay it on the line for us. His spirit is always great and that’s a reason why we all want to see him do well.”
With the score tied at 95 in the fourth quarter, James buried a step-back 3-pointer to put the Lakers ahead 98-95.
He later hit a free throw for a three-point play to put the Lakers ahead 106-102 with 5:09 remaining. The Lakers never trailed again.
The Lakers had watched a 14-point lead disappear in the third quarter as the Wizards picked up the pace. Kristaps Porzingis, Kuzma and Beal, who rejoined the team after missing six games because of hamstring injury, fueled the comeback for the Wizards, who are in the middle of a six-game road trip.
Beal led his team with 29 points on 9-of-17 shooting and tied the score with 23.1 seconds left. Kuzma had 22 points and 16 rebounds. Porzingis added 21 points and 11 rebounds.
Lonnie Walker scored 21 points for the Lakers, while Dennies Schröder and Reaves each added 12. James added nine assists and seven rebounds and shot 13 for 24 from the field. Russell Westbrook had nine points on 4-for-12 shooting to go with nine rebounds and eight assists in 23 minutes.
The bad news regarding Davis – who missed 36 of the Lakers’ 72 regular-season games in the 2020-21 season, then sat out 42 of their 82 games last season – didn’t hamper Ham’s optimism. He said several players, including rookies, will be counted on until Davis and Wenyen Gabriel (left shoulder) return.
“We will be getting Wenyen back here pretty soon, so it’s a soft plan that we can always pivot off of,” Ham said. “We have some guys that we are very, very confident in and will mix and match them and see what happens.”
And that’s what happened.
Ham utilized his bench early, putting rookie guard Max Christie in the lineup in the first quarter. Christie, who had been averaging 11.8 minutes per game, scored eight points in 24 minutes, including crunch time.
Ham said he told Christie to “make some 3s and just be solid. We don’t need any hero ball. Everybody needs to play within themselves.”
Only James gained hero status again.
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