Wizards hope to clamp down on Hawks

WASHINGTON -- The Washington Wizards hope they gained needed defensive momentum with a home win over Lonzo Ball and the Los Angeles Lakers. They might know if they stymie the reeling Atlanta Hawks on Saturday night.

John Wall scored 23 points and Bradley Beal had 22 as the Wizards (6-5) defeated the Los Angeles Lakers 111-95 on Thursday. The victory came after losing five of seven -- three consecutive at home -- including Tuesday's stunning 113-99 setback against the Dallas Mavericks.

The issues early on exist defensively. Washington allowed 130 and 122 points in losses last week and has blown several double-digit leads.

The Lakers scored 34 points in the first quarter, but then finished with 22, 21 and 18 over the final three.

"It's a start," Wizards coach Scott Brooks said after his team allowed its second-lowest point total of the season and its lowest shooting percentage (36 percent). "It's not solved, our defense, but it's a start. It was a solid basketball game for a lot of guys."

Whether the win starts a true shift for Washington depends on it handles Atlanta.

"In the next game, if we don't do it it's a waste of time," Wall said. "We have to find a way to do it on a nightly basis. We did that last year when we on a 17-game home winning streak. It's about locking in and staying focused. We can't keep talking about it."

Otto Porter contributed 20 points and 11 rebounds for the Wizards. His third-quarter jumper put Washington up 91-70, and the margin never dipped below nine again.

"We just challenged shots and made it tough, getting into the passing lanes," Wall said. "It ignites our offense when we get out in transition and get some layups."

Markieff Morris finished with 16 points. The starting power forward felt his knee tighten in the first quarter, but he returned in the second. He opened the third quarter with back-to-back 3-pointers.

Washington opened the 2017 playoffs by defeating Atlanta 4-2 in a best-of-7 series. While the Wizards kept their core, the Hawks lost several players, including All-Star Paul Millsap and guard Tim Hardaway Jr.

No longer looking like a team capable of a fifth seed, Atlanta fell to an Eastern Conference worst 2-10 with a 111-104 loss at the Detroit Pistons on Friday.

Atlanta trailed by 19 points and 16 at halftime, but tied the game 94-94 with 3:49 remaining on a Kent Bazemore 3-pointer. Detroit's Reggie Jackson hit two 3-pointers in the final minute to seal the win.

"A lot of guys gave great effort in the second half," Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer said. "We'll probably draw on that, reflect on that, and understand that we've got to do that for the full 48 minutes tomorrow night."

Bazemore scored 22 points and Dennis Schroder had 17 points and 11 assists against the Pistons. The Hawks have lost two in a row since upsetting the Cleveland Cavaliers

"We started the game out kind of slow, and that's kind of been our Achilles heel to start the season -- get in a hole and fight our way back -- that's our identity," Bazemore said. "But we've just got to smarten up. (The Pistons) are a team that's been together for a while and they made some huge plays down the stretch and you've got to give them credit."

Forwards Ersan Ilyasova (knee) and Mike Muscala (left ankle sprain) did not play for the Hawks.