Why Thursday's Blowout Win Over Washington Matters More Than You Think

No matter how catastrophically bad the Washington Wizards are—and make no mistake, they are catastrophically bad—there was a lot to like about what the Lakers did in their 134-96 win Thursday night in D.C., going well beyond the final score. Down Anthony Davis, Dorian Finney-Smith and Gabe Vincent, the Lakers did exactly what they needed to do in order to control the game, even down some talent. They took care of the ball (11 turnovers overall, and only four in the first half). They moved it, as well, with 31 assists on 49 field goals (again, frontloaded to the first half). They distributed the scoring, took defense as seriously as they could, got off to a quick start and most importantly, sustained all of this focus and attention throughout the game. The end result was ideal. A huge win, a chance for guys like Jaxson Hayes (10 points, 10 rebounds, three blocks) and Shake Milton (21/4/4) to build some confidence, and perhaps most importantly, a chance for LeBron James to rest. LBJ dominated the minutes he played, but critically only had to play 26. Given the heavy load he'll have to carry without Davis over the next few games, any opportunity to let James sit is important. The Lakers call themselves an "execution" team. No question, it's easy to execute against a team like the Wizards, but that level of effort and focus didn't go unnoticed by JJ Redick after the game. This game absolutely should have been a win, and even a pretty easy one for the Lakers. But because they came with the right approach—and the Wizards clearly had no fight in them—this game was over at halftime. The next four games are going to be significantly more challenging, starting Saturday in the Garden against the Knicks. But the Lakers couldn't have had a better start to this Davis-less stretch of games (which hopefully won't be that long, with reports that the Lakers have at least some hope Davis could be available before the All-Star break). This doesn't seem like an important win on its face, and nobody should throw the Lakers a party or anything, but given how they performed against Charlotte and Philly, nothing about Thursday's game was a given. instead, LA executed on the assignment with near perfection, and got exactly the result they needed.  HOSTS: Andy and Brian KamenetzkySEGMENT 1: The Lakers destroy Washington. SEGMENT 2: More to the win than meets the eye?  SEGMENT 3:  Optimism about A.D.'s recovery?  Your favorite podcast now has a newsletter! In One-stop for ultimate team and league coverage delivered right to your in box. Sign up for free now, at lockedondaily.com.Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors!Turbo TaxReady for stress-free taxes and the most money back, guaranteed? Head over to TurboTax.com today and get matched with your Expert. Only available with TurboTax Live Full Service. Real-time updates only in the iOS mobile app. See guarantee details at TurboTax.com/guarantees. GametimeDownload the Gametime app, create an account, and use code LOCKEDONNBA for $20 off your first purchase. Terms apply. Download Gametime today. What time is it? Gametime.FanDuelSuper Bowl 59 is here, And there’s no better way to make every play more exciting than with FanDuel Sportsbook. New customers can bet just FIVE DOLLARS, and if you win, you’ll score TWO HUNDRED BUCKS in Bonus Bets. Download the app or head to FANDUEL.COM to get started.  Bet with FanDuel—Official Partner of Super Bowl Fifty-Nine. FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.