Jan 30, 2026; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward/guard Luka Doncic (77) dribbles as Washington Wizards guard Bilal Coulibaly (0) defends during the second half at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-Imagn Images Brad Mills-Imagn Images

Wizards Receive Beatdown From Luka Doncic, Lakers

Originally posted on Washington Wizards on SI
By Bryson Akins | Last updated Jan 30, 2026 10:08 PM ET

After getting a big win over the Milwaukee Bucks on John Wall Celebration Night, the Washington Wizards came back down to Earth against the Los Angeles Lakers. On the second night of a back-to-back, the Wizards were dealing with a plethora of injuries. Those injuries clearly affected the game's outcome, as the Wizards were destroyed 142-111.

The game was never within reach, largely because Luka Doncic showed once again why he is in the MVP conversation. The former Dallas Mavericks guard put up a triple-double in just the first half of play. Even though this game was an utter beatdown, there were still some positives to take away from it.

Wiz Kids Fail to Take Down Lakers

As mentioned, the Wizards were dealing with injuries, and the biggest blow was Tre Johnson's ankle sprain. Bub Carrington ended up starting in Johnson's place and played quite well. Carrington finished with 15 points with four made three pointers on eight attempts, along with six assists and two steals. The only problem Carrington had in the loss was turnovers, as he had five in the game. Other than that, Carrington showed flashes of why the team has faith in him as a playmaker and backup point guard.

Quick start from deep from Bub pic.twitter.com/NAxWb0YF5Z
— Washington Wizards (@WashWizards) January 31, 2026

Alex Sarr once again had another solid night of basketball, but was not great. The two-time Rising Star had 16 points on 8-of-14 shooting, and also had six boards and five assists. Defensively, he struggled against a lengthy Lakers lineup. The playmaking ability of Doncic and LeBron James just made it difficult for Sarr to hold down the interior throughout the night. Still, this was a solid game from the second-year center.

Off the bench, Anthony Gill had his best game of the season. In 17 minutes of action, the veteran had nine points and 10 rebounds, with five of those boards coming on the offensive end. Will Gill end up getting more time? More than likely, the answer is no, but it was nice to see that even after not playing much, he could still go out there and provide solid numbers. With the team injured and players potentially being moved, Gill could see an increase in his playing time.

Brad Mills-Imagn Images

Malaki Branham also had his best game of the season, as he turned heads. Branham had 17 points off the bench on six-of-nine shooting and four made three pointers. The former San Antonio Spurs guard was everywhere on offense, and it was surprising. For the most part, this season, anytime Branham has played, he has looked lackluster to say the least. This game, though, was a different side of Branham, as he played aggressively and did not hold back.

This was an ugly loss, no other way of saying it. The young players, though, still showed potential. The team also gained some ground in the lottery standings, as another loss boosted their odds of landing the first overall pick.

This article first appeared on Washington Wizards on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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