The Lakers and Wizards both have a lot to prove tonight. The capital city team has found itself amid yet another 10-game losing streak. On the other hand, the Lakers haven’t been themselves since the LA wildfire. Not that we are saying the national disaster negatively impacted the team’s performance. Coach JJ Redick’s men have been repeatedly making the same mistake over and over. On Sunday, LeBron James & Co. suffered an embarrassing blowout against the Clippers after putting up a strong fight in the first half.

While throwing the game away in the second half has been a repeated situation for the LA team, it was certainly more frustrating to give it away to their archrivals, the LA Clippers. Bron & Co. visited the Intuit Dome for the first time and mercilessly got their weakness exposed. It was King James, who fought against the Clips like a lone warrior, securing 25 points with 11 assists. Meanwhile, Anthony Davis and Austin Reaves, who were the team’s primary offense machines, struggled to make buckets and managed only 30 points together.

So, the bottom line is the Lakers players have a lot of steam to release and can’t ask for a better team to play against. However, the only question is, does the team have enough firepower for tonight’s challenge? It’s doubtful, as both LeBron James and Anthony Davis are less likely to play tonight. The team listed Bron in the Probable category, citing left foot injury management, and AD in Questionable, citing right calf soreness.

Taking on the Wizards with an in-form Jordan Poole without Bron & AD is a risky job. Apart from the vets, the team has also listed a few other stars:

• Jarred Vanderbilt (Foot) – Out
• Jalen Hood-Schifino (Hamstring) -Out
• Christian Wood (knee) -Out

On the other hand, the Wizards have a pretty healthy team with only a few players on the injury report:

• Marvin Bagley III (Knee) – Out
• Malcolm Brogdon (Foot) – Out
• Saddiq Bey (Knee) -Out

LeBron James & Co. vs Wizards: Starting Lineup and Depth Chart

In the absence of Bron and AD, Austin Reaves has to take responsibility. Much like how James Harden handled the Clippers this season in the absence of Kawhi Leonard. Notably, the star guard has all possible players around him, and JJ Redick will have to draw up a tight plan and use his resources accordingly to steal the win.

The Los Angeles Lakers

The Washington Wizards

The Wizards just have to rally behind Jordan Poole’s hot form and focus more on their defense and feed off it. Who will come out on top tonight? Let us know in the comments.