Los Angeles’s eighth win in nine games came on Wednesday night against the Washington Wizards, 125-120, thanks in large part to Anthony Davis’s 19 points (or 35 percent of his total) and 18 rebounds.

Despite playing against his old team, the Lakers were led by LeBron James (25 points, 9 assists) and Rui Hachimura (19 points). Among Washington’s scorers, Jordan Poole had 29. If the Lakers want to make it to the main playoff bracket, they’ll need to win the play-in tournament twice.

They’re now ninth in the Western Conference. They are, nevertheless, actively attempting to advance. As of Wednesday, the Los Angeles Lakers were 1.5 games behind both Sacramento and Phoenix. Just one more setback will keep the Wizards from tying their franchise record of 63 wins.