A short-handed Los Angeles Lakers team took the floor Tuesday night, hosting a Phoenix Suns ballclub who has seen much improvement over the last year. Phoenix has won 15 of their last 18 outings and solidified themselves as a legitimate playoff threat for the first time since the 2009-2010 season. The Lakers entered the game severely undermanned, as star forward Anthony Davis, Kyle Kuzma, and Marc Gasol were sidelined. Davis and Kuzma were out due to injury, and Gasol for the League’s COVID-19 health & safety protocol.
Led by all-star guards Devin Booker and Chris Paul, Phoenix put their foot on the gas early. They would go on a 12 to 0 run in the first quarter before Lakers guard Dennis Schröder scored a step-back jumper to stop the bleeding. Shots had a hard time finding the bottom of the net for the Lakers in the quarter. They made just 1 of 6 three-point attempts, while Phoenix knocked down 6 shots from deep.
Things became more competitive, as the Lebron James led Lakers fought back to pull themselves within 3 points late in the first half. However, Phoenix – rated in the top 10 in both offensive and defensive efficiency – closed the half on a small run that concluded with Mikal Bridges three-pointer at the horn. The two teams traded baskets for the first few minutes of the second half before things would get chippy.
Referees steal the show
The game struggled to find itself in a significant flow, largely thanks to its officiating. The referees called things tight all night, stopping play to review several seemingly common fouls for potentially flagrant force. Perhaps the height of the uncommon ground between the players and officials came when Booker was ejected with 7:10 left in the third. He left the game with 17 points, 6 assists, 3 rebounds, and 3 steals.
A balanced effort
While easy to assume Booker’s absence would turn things around for the Lakers, Phoenix’s balance kept them in control. They would stretch their lead in the fourth. Paul committed himself to distributing the ball, dishing out 10 dimes while only attempting 4 shots in the game. This proved to be the leadership Phoenix needed, as 5 players scored in double figures. Dario Saric came off the bench and made his presence be felt with 21 points. Bridges added 19 points of his own on 6 of 10 attempts, and DeAndre Ayton dropped 17 on 7 of 14 from the floor. Jay Crowder was also efficient, scoring 15 points on 5 of 8 shooting.
“CP is a guy who leads vocally…,” “Ayton said. “Especially today’s game, losing D-Book. He sat us down in the huddle and made sure we only had to do winning plays… It’s contagious the way he approaches the game, so it’s a blessing [to have him].”
When asked if Booker’s ejection made a difference for the Lakers in the game, James simply replied, “No.”
James carries the load
For the Lakers, James – somehow quietly – put forth a brilliant performance. He scored 38 points on 16 of 24 shooting and 3 for 8 from three-point land. Six assists and 5 boards were also added to his stat line. Schröder put in 17 points despite inefficient shooting but added 6 assists. Talen Horton-Tucker and Markieff Morris were efficient in their efforts, scoring 16 points and 12 points, respectively. Further production seemed hard to come by for the Lakers (24-12; 3rd in West standings). Forward Montrezl Harrell saw limited minutes (coach’s decision), while Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Wesley Matthews never found their footing. The slow evening would cause the Lakers to fall, 104-114, to the Suns (23-11; 2nd in West standings).
“Obviously, they played a high volume of minutes with a small second unit, with Saric at the 5,” Coach Frank Vogel said when asked about Harrell’s minutes. “We typically would go small in those situations, so it minimized our opportunities to play ‘Trezl big minutes or to get [Damian] Jones in there big minutes.”
In their last game before the All-Star break, the Lakers travel to Sacramento for a matchup against the Kings Wednesday night at 7 pm PST.
