Wizards Top Lakers 119-108 To Clinch First Division Title Since 1979

The Washington Wizards had reason to celebrate in Los Angeles on Tuesday night, and they did so by engaging in a water bottle skirmish. The reason? They had just won the Southeast Division for the first time in 38 years.

Wizards win First Southeast Division Title In 38 Years

”We had a little water bottle fight in here,” a smiling Bradley Beal stated following a 119-108 victory over the Lakers on Tuesday night. ”It’s history for us.”

John Wall shot 14 of 25 for 34 points and Beal added 16 points on 7-of-16 shooting for the Wizards, (46-28) who ended the longest division-title drought in NBA history with their fourth consecutive win.

“It’s great, man,” Wall said on CSN after the game. “I’ve been here for seven years; it feels like I’ve been here my whole life. We haven’t accomplished a lot of things. This is something that’s exciting for the city, just the start to where we want to be. Hopefully they can enjoy it. Hopefully we put a banner up for it, because it hasn’t happened in so long. But we’ve got bigger goals that we’re trying to reach.”

Beal also spoke of his and Wall’s status as veterans of the team: ”John and I especially, we’ve been on the team for five years,” Beal said. ”It’s big-time for us and we’re excited to keep it moving forward.”

When the franchise last clinched a division title in 1978-79, it was known as the Bullets of the Atlantic Division and played in suburban Landover, Maryland. The team had won its only NBA championship the previous season and eventually lost the 1979 Finals to the Seattle Supersonics.

”Quite an accomplishment,” first-year coach Scott Brooks said. ”It’s a credit to everyone in the organization.”

From 1979-80 onward, Washington has had one of the worst victory percentages in the NBA, and although the team has reached the playoffs 14 times in that span, it hasn’t made it past the second round.

The Wizards outscored the Lakers 37-13 in the fourth.

Washington opened on a 19-6 run to tie it at 101 with their second unit in for most of that stretch.

”That changed the game,” Brooks said. ”They’re energy (the bench) and gave our starters the chance to finish the game off.”

Beal, who also credited the second unit, and Wall re-entered the game and combined to score the Wizards’ next seven points for a 108-104 lead. Wall also got a one-handed tying dunk.

”It’s a great accomplishment,” Wall said. ”It’s something we can cherish, but we have bigger goals and our minds set on other things.”

Washington have won 16 games after trailing by double-digits. They were down 13 to start the fourth.

The Lakers had as many turnovers (five) as field goals.

”They didn’t have to run an offense,” D’Angelo Russell said. ”They scored off of our missed shots, turnovers and they got transition baskets.”

Russell led the Lakers with 28 points and Jordan Clarkson added 22 points.

Los Angeles led by 16 in the third, when they outscored Washington 28-14 to start. Wall tossed up an air-ball during the Lakers’ run before making his team’s last two baskets to pull them to 95-92 going into the fourth.

The Lakers (21-53) have lost 16 of 18 since the All-Star break and have eight games left before missing the playoffs yet again.

Lakers forward Brandon Ingram sat out his second straight game with right patellar tendinitis after playing in the team’s first 72 games, including 33 starts. He’s averaging 9.0 points, 4.1 rebounds and 2.0 assists as a rookie.

”He gives us a dynamic presence out there,” coach Luke Walton said. ”He’s grown so much as a player. Not only are we losing some scoring, but defense.”

The Wizards next visit the Clippers on Wednesday night. The Lakers, meanwhile, will visit Minnesota on Thursday in a rematch of last Friday’s game in L.A., where the Lakers won by 11 points in their first overtime game of the season.

WASHINGTON, DC – MARCH 22: Bradley Beal #3 of the Washington Wizards dunks the ball against the Atlanta Hawks in the second half at Verizon Center on March 22, 2017 in Washington, DC.