Hey! It's our quick-hit Lakers vs. Wizards recap. Take a moment to catch up on the news, notes and must-see from last night's Wizards action -- good and bad -- with 'Postive Pixels, Wicked Pixels.' It's your morning-after Wizards hangover cure.
Still trying to figure out how the Kobe Bryant and the Lakers fell to the Wizards? Well, aside from LA's 6-14 road record, SO AM I.
For the Wizards, there were plenty of positives (which we'll get into below) but nothing beats the pure spectacle here. What a bizarro experience. I mean, the Wizards trailed by 15 at halftime and were down as much as 21 in the third quarter ... and then Trevor Booker and the bench -- Kevin Seraphin, Nick Young and Roger Mason Jr. -- carried the Wizards back into the game. ... And ahead of L.A. ... And to a win. Over that time a crowd that was chanting "M-V-P" during Kobe's free throws in the first quarter and turn it into "Beat LA" down the stretch. Unreal.
Look, does this win represent a fundamental leap forward for the Wizards? Probably as much as when Washington beat the Thunder to improve to 2-12. But man, the games was SO improbable and SO awesome. In this season, that counts for something right?
"It makes you day a lot better," Shelvin Mack said, which I think is perfect.
Positive Pixels
• Nick Young is a "complete player": Don't ever forget Nick Young is capable of locking up one-on-one with the best players in the league, at least according to him. On Wednesday, he said he had extra motivation: "I grew up watching [Bryant]. I just knew everyone was back home (in Los Angeles) watching. I didn't want to get embarrassed." Bryant shot 2-for-8 in the third quarter with Young on him and finished with just 10 points in the second half.
Young also had his first assist since the All-Star break ... and finished with a career high six assists. Give him the JaVale McGee Memorial Playmaker Award™.
• Trevor Booker continues to BEAST: 18 points and a career-high 17 rebounds for Trevor Booker, who erased many Wizards mistakes on the offensive end with eight offensive rebounds -- including off of a Wall missed free throw in the closing seconds. Booker even hit a buzzer-beater from well behind the three-point line at the end of the half. He joked after the game that he might have to start taking more of those shots. Guess the confidence is coming along at least as fast as the jumper.
Papa Johns half off tomorrow
— Trevor Booker (@35_Fitz) March 8, 2012
• Kevin Seraphin had himself a big game: Kevin Seraphin scored a career-high 14 points and only missed one shot all game. Head coach Randy Wittman was not reaching when he Seraphin had "the best game that he has had since he's been here." The refs let the game get physical and Seraphin used it to his advantage, collecting nine rebounds, too. He said the Lakers probably didn't know who he was going into the game. Now they know him as "Who the hell was that guy, again?"
Wicked Pixels
• Don't forget: the first half was ugly. This was the fifth game since the All-Star break that the Wizards have gone down double-digits in the first half (via The Washington Post's Michael Lee). After the Wizards blamed an ugly Monday night loss on a lack of preparation, it's hard to figure out how Washington failed to show up early for this one against a tired Los Angeles team that arrived in D.C. last night at 3 a.m. after an OT loss to the Pistons.
• John Wall's off night. It's just one night but Wall was off from the start against the Lakers, and finished just 1-for-8 from the field. Derek Fisher was able to bother him and, according to Wall, "whenever I turned the corner they were making sure somebody was there, making it tough for me." The last time Wall took just eight shots was Feb. 4 in a loss against the Clippers.
• The first half went more or less like this:
(via @JohnCTownsend)
Catch up on more from this game with our Lakers vs. Wizards StoryStream, and get more terrific fan perspective at our Wizards blog, Bullets Forever.
