Tune-In Tidbits: ESPN Wednesday, April 28, 2021

Bradley Beal and Russell Westbrook combined for 65 points in Washington’s win over Los Angeles on Feb. 22.

Lakers (36-25) at Wizards (27-34)
7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN

• The Wizards beat the Lakers, 127-124 in overtime on Feb. 22, behind a combined 65 points from Bradley Beal (33 PTS, 7 REB, 6 AST, 3 STL) and Russell Westbrook (32 PTS, 14 REB, 9 AST). Kentavious Caldwell-Pope was the primary defender on Beal fo 8:31 (59.3% of Beal’s offensive matchup time) and held Beal to eight points on 4-10 FG, 0-2 3P shooting. Beal scored 14 of his points in just 1:22 when matched up against Marc Gasol as Beal shot 5-8 FG, 1-1 3P and 3-4 FT.

• Russell Westbrook scored against all nine Lakers defenders that matched up against him on Feb. 22. Wesley Matthews drew the assignment for a team-high 4:32 (33.2% of Westbrook’s matchup time) with Russ scoring seven points on 3-5 shooting from the field and 1-2 from the foul line.

• Westbrook is on pace to average a triple-double for the fourth time in the past five seasons as he enters Wednesday at 21.8 ppg (23rd in NBA), 11.0 rpg (8th), 11.0 apg (1st) in 35.7 minutes (5th). Westbrook’s career triple-double total now stands at 175; he needs seven triple-doubles to top Oscar Robertson’s all-time record (181) and the Wizards have 11 games remaining for him to work with this season.

• The Lakers are coming off a 114-103 win over Orlando on Monday to snap a three-game losing streak. In his third game back since missing more than two months with a calf injury, Anthony Davis finished with 18 points, eight rebounds, three assists and two blocks in 31 minutes. After shooting a combined 7-29 (24.1%) from the field and 0-7 from 3-point range in his first two games back, Davis shot 8-15 (53.3%) from the field and made his first 3-pointer since Feb. 6.

• The Lakers’ top-ranked defense (only allowing 106.3 points per 100 possessions) will look to shut down the league’s leading scorer, Bradley Beal. Beal’s 45 points in Washington’s overtime loss to San Antonio on Monday pushed him past Golden State’s Stephen Curry to regain the lead with a season average of 31.4 points per game (0.2 ppg more than Curry).

Paul George is averaging 36 points on 62.8% shooting in two games against Phoenix this season.

Clippers (43-20) at Suns (43-18)
10 p.m. ET, ESPN

• The Clippers go for the season sweep of the Suns on Wednesday and pull closer to a top-two seed in the Western Conference. LA has shot 35-66 (53.0%) from 3-point range in the first two games – it is their highest 3-point percentage against any opponent this season.

• Paul George has been unstoppable against Phoenix this season – averaging 36 points on 27-43 (62.8%) shooting from the field, including 14-19 (73.7%) from 3-point range. George has scored 72 points in 72 minutes played against Phoenix, with the Clippers outscoring the Suns by 34 points with George on the court.

• Devin Booker has led the Suns with 24.5 points and 5.5 assists per game against the Clippers this season. Chris Paul has been held to 14 points and 4.5 assists – his second-lowest assist average against any opponent this season. The Suns have averaged just 105 points and shot just 28.1% from 3-point range in two games against LA – their third-lowest marks against any opponent this season.

• The Clippers were 24-14 at the All-Star break with the third-ranked offense (116.8 points per 100 possessions) and 15th-ranked defense (111.5 points allowed per 100 possessions). Since the break, the Clippers are 19-6 with the top-ranked offense (117.4) but the biggest leap has come on defense as they rank sixth in defense (109.3). LA’s 8.1 net rating post All-Star ranks second to Utah, while Phoenix ranks fifth at 5.5.

• Chris Paul ranks fifth in the league in clutch scoring with 109 points in 129 minutes of clutch play. The Suns are 19-11 in those games and 20-11 in clutch games overall, which is the fifth-best clutch win percentage in the league. The Clippers are 15-14 in clutch games this season.