Eastern Conference Player of the Week shines again with 31 points.
The Washington Wizards ended a three-game winning streak for the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday night, with John Wall making it a third straight game scoring over 30 points.
Having been named the Eastern Conference Player of the Week on Monday, Wall continued his impressive recent form with 31 points as well as 6 rebounds and 9 assists, leading the Wizards to a 116-111 victory.
Meanwhile, there was also a career-high 30 points from Nene who went 13-for-22 shooting from the field, as the Lakers were led by Jordan Farmar with 22 points.
However, it wasn’t enough for the visitors as they went in search of their fourth straight win, while Kobe Bryant, fresh from signing his two-year extension, watched on from the locker room.
The 35-year-old is still recovering from his ruptured Achilles tendon injury, and although speculation continues to insist that he is nearing a return, coach Mike D’Antoni conceded that it still may be a couple of weeks before he makes his comeback.
Nevertheless, the Wizards improved to 6-8 for the season and will be starting to believe in a potential play-off spot given the weakened look of the Eastern Conference currently.
Over in the Western Conference, the Lakers are now 7-8 for the season, but will undoubtedly be confident of their ability to push up the standings when Bryant returns to the line-up.
Elsewhere on Tuesday, the Brooklyn Nets finally ended their losing streak and secured only their second win in the last ten games following their 102-100 win over the Toronto Raptors.
However, the Nets were given a real scare in the fourth quarter as they almost squandered a 101-86 lead with 5:22 remaining, as Rudy Gay’s three-pointer with 23 seconds cut the lead to just one point.
After Shaun Livingston made 1 of his 2 free throw attempts, Amir Johnson missed a potential go-ahead three-pointer while Steve Novak was unable to tip in the rebound as Brooklyn held on to grab a vital win for their confidence.
Elsewhere, the Orlando Magic sealed a 109-92 win over the Atlanta Hawks, while the Golden State Warriors edged a close encounter with a 102-101 win over the New Orleans Pelicans.
Klay Thompson had 22 points and tied a career-high with eight assists, as the Warriors snapped a three-game losing streak.
NBA Results:
Brooklyn Nets 102-100 Toronto Raptors
Los Angeles Lakers 111-116 Washington Wizards
Orlando Magic 109-92 Atlanta Hawks
Golden State Warriors 102-101 New Orleans Pelicans
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