LOS ANGELES, Dec. 17 -- The last time Washington came to Los Angeles with a better record than the Lakers was Dec. 22, 1978, when the Bullets came to the Forum and lost. The franchise hadn't beaten the Lakers in Los Angeles since Feb. 14, 1992, a string of 11 consecutive defeats.
Perhaps all the Wizards needed to end these streaks was to channel the old Bullets—or at least wear retro jerseys bearing the franchise's former name. Or maybe they could get a combined 70 points from the starting back court of Gilbert Arenas (season-high 37) and Larry Hughes (33). Both occurred Friday—and the Wizards (13-8) held off the Lakers, 120-116, in an overtime thriller.
Gilbert Arenas led the Wizards with 37 points and helped the Wizards survive Kobe Bryant's 36 points, 14 assists and 10 rebounds.
(Chris Pizzello - AP)
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"It was a classic. For us, anyway," Coach Eddie Jordan said. "This team is made to break down all the barriers that the Bullets and Wizards had. We’re not thinking about what happened in the past, they’re trying to pave their own way."
After going scoreless in the fourth quarter, Hughes scored six points in the extra period to secure the win, but he made the key play with a pass. After Lakers guard Kobe Bryant (36 points) hit a three-pointer to bring his team to within 114-113 with 33 seconds left in the extra period, the Wizards worked the ball to Hughes, who dribbled down the shot clock, drove in on Caron Butler, then found former Laker Anthony Peeler wide open from the left-elbow extended. "It was a terrific, terrific play by Larry," Jordan said. "AP was wound up and ready to launch that thing."
Peeler, the league leader in three-point field goal percentage last season, fired and nailed a wide-open three-pointer, which proved to be the difference. Hughes then bumped chests with the smiling, yet conflicted Peeler.
"It feels good," Peeler said, with his nine-year-old son, Marcus, sitting next to him in the locker room, "but it hurts at the same time because I bleed purple - that was my first job and I love the Laker organization. I'm here now, though, and it’s a job I have to do."
After Bryant hit another three-pointer, Hughes sank two free throws to seal the win. Bryant added 14 assists and 10 rebounds to complete the triple-double, but he missed two free throws with 4.4 seconds left.
Antawn Jamison had 22 points as the Wizards kicked off the first leg of a four-game road trip against the Western Conference trip in style. They will play Phoenix on Saturday. "It’s a confidence builder," Peeler said. "You’ve got to get the first one of a road trip like this. We’re starting to play together as a team and having fun with each other and that’s the main thing."
Chucky Atkins scored a season-high 23, hitting five of the Lakers' 13 three pointers. Five players scored in double figures for the Lakers (13-10).
Growing up in North Hollywood, Arenas used to have a Bryant poster hanging on the wall in his bedroom. Back in his home town, he dueled the Lakers’ star bucket for bucket in the fourth quarter, scoring 10 points to Bryant’s 12 in the period. Then, with the game tied at 104 in the final seconds of regulation, Arenas was matched up against Bryant. Arenas dribbled down the clock, took a fallaway jumper that missed, forcing overtime.
The Lakers wore powder blue uniforms once worn by the 1959-60 Minneapolis Lakers, who went 25-50 and moved to Los Angeles the next season. The Wizards wore orange uniforms in honor of the 1970-71 Baltimore Bullets, who advanced to the NBA Finals. "I used to watch the Bullets growing up in Washington," Jordan said. "I love that uniform."
So did Arenas, who used to play in orange uniforms in high school. "I had my high school colors on, and I tore the city up in my high school colors, so I felt comfortable in that jersey."
Hughes looked most comfortable in them. He had 27 points after three quarters and matched his previous season-high by shooting 15 of 25 from the floor. Hughes didn’t score in the fourth, but he hit the first bucket in overtime. He added another assist, finding Jared Jeffries for a two-handed dunk to give the Wizards a 112-106 lead.
"That’s what we do," said Arenas, added seven assists and six rebounds. "When we’re on, we’re on, we don’t think anyone can stop us."
