Lakers vs. Wizards game preview: Beat the East

The Los Angeles Lakers hit the second half of their back-to-back with a trip to Washington D.C. to face the Wizards, facing one of the best Eastern Conference teams this time. The Lakers have gone 4-0 against the East, and if they go 5-0 playing for the second time in as many days, it's time to start wondering if running the table on the "other" conference is in play."

No, that's not happening, but it's fun to joke about it in the meantime. The Wizards aren't a bottom team, which the Lakers have been feeding on. John Wall is going to cause all sorts of problems against the Lakers' defense and should have a monster game. Jeremy Lin stands little-to-no chance at staying in front of him, and Wall's passing has improved every season since he came into the league. He's currently averaging a career-high 9.3 assists per game, and has backcourt mate Bradley Beal back to space the floor for Washington.

But perhaps the danger to watch out for is on Washington's end, as Kobe Bryant has taken responsibility as the Lakers' primary facilitator. He's dished out 25 assists over the last two games, doing his best to keep the offense rolling even if he's been fatigued. Kobe put up a season-low 11 field-goal attempts against Detroit, electing to keep the ball moving and serving as a decoy. This isn't new ground for the Mamba, as he's flipped this switch numerous times over recent years, but it's something to keep an eye on.

This will be a challenging game for the Lakers, but hopefully they leave some energy in their reserve before heading to Boston on Friday. Enjoy the game.

Time: 4 p.m. PT

Station: TWCSN