LOS ANGELES _ This game was supposed to be about the point guards _ Lonzo Ball, a rookie, and John Wall, a veteran who wanted to provide the rookie with a rude welcome to the NBA.
Instead, the Wizards' other guard took over late in the game, with Bradley Beal scoring 17 of his 28 points in the second half and overtime. The Lakers' other second overall pick propelled his team in crunch time as Brandon Ingram scored 11 points in the fourth quarter to send the game to overtime.
Wall took the final shot of the game with Ball assigned to him, and missed.
The Lakers beat the Wizards, 102-99, at Staples Center on Wednesday. It was Washington's first loss after starting the season 3-0. The Lakers improved to 2-2, with wins over Washington and Phoenix.
Wall had 18 points and nine assists.
Ingram finished with 19 points on 8-of-16 shooting with 10 rebounds. Larry Nance Jr. put on a show in the first half with 14 of his 18 points and nine of his 10 rebounds during that span. Ball missed all but two of his shots, one make coming in overtime to tie the game at 94. He finished 2 for 11 from the field, including 0 for 5 from 3-point range, with 10 assists and eight rebounds.
In an early highlight, the rookie got the best of the star.
Ball stripped the basketball from Wall as he drove toward the basket, then he threw the ball the length of the court to Ingram, who took some contact and scored.
The Lakers led throughout the entire first quarter, by as many as eight points, but Washington took a seven-point lead in the second quarter and a 10-point lead in the third.
The Wizards led by 10 late in the fourth when the Lakers made a late push, going on a 10-0 run to tie the game with 3:26 remaining. The run included a 3-pointer from Kentavious Caldwell-Pope on a tip-out from Ingram to bring the Lakers within two, and a mid-range jumper by Ingram to tie the game at 85.
The Wizards countered with a 6-0 run.
Later, with less than a minute to go in the game and his team down four, Ball pounced at the basketball after Beal missed a shot, cradled the rebound, then raced up the court all the way into the paint on the opposite end of it, and kicked the ball out to Julius Randle.
Randle isn't known as a shooter, but for one moment he gave his team just what it needed. He sank a 3-pointer to bring the Lakers within one.
Ingram later tied the game on a tip-in of his own miss with 0.7 seconds left to send it into overtime.
