Phoenix Suns Survive Los Angeles Lakers’ Late Comeback In Narrow 113-110 Victory
In a game with plenty of implications in the Western Conference standings, the Phoenix Suns held on to defeat the Los Angeles Lakers on a game-winning shot by Royce O’Neale to seal the win.
Suns Turn the Tables On the Lakers In Second Half
It was a game of comebacks in the “Valley of the Sun”, as Phoenix rallied from a 12-point deficit midway through the 3rd quarter to pull out the win. However, the Lakers would have one last run in them late in the 4th quarter, as they came back from a 12-point hole to tie the game in the final minute of the game.
Thankfully for the Suns, they had been in plenty of close games to this point, with Forward Royce O’Neale icing the game on a game-winning three-pointer with 0.9 seconds left in regulation to hand Phoenix the win.
It was a three-point shootout as the Suns and Lakers combined for 33 three-pointers made in the game. It was an especially hot night for Phoenix, as they knocked in 22 threes in the win. The majority of those would come courtesy of Collin Gillespie and Grayson Allen, who hit a combined 12 threes.
Gillespie and Allen would be the backbone of the Suns’ offense. Gillespie finished with 21 points, while Allen had a team-high 28 points. Only two other players would finish in double figures for Phoenix in the game. This offensive performance is even more impressive given the absences of both Devin Booker and Dillon Brooks. Booker is currently sidelined with a right hip strain, while Brooks will be out for 4 to 6 weeks after undergoing surgery on a fractured left hand.
Lakers Recent Slump Continues in Another Head-Scratching Loss
It hasn’t been the best of times in Laker land over the past week, as this latest loss marks Los Angeles third in a row, with all three losses coming against quality teams. The biggest reason for this latest skid by the Lakers is due in large part to their poor defense, as Los Angeles is giving up an average of 111 points per game over their last three games. The Lakers currently rank 18th in team defensive rating, which ranks as the worst among the top 8 seeds in both conferences.
The one positive note the Lakers can take away from this game is that their franchise superstar, Luka Doncic, may have found his offensive rhythm again. Doncic finished with 41 points, 8 rebounds, and 8 assists. Doncic is averaging 24 points per game on an inefficient 40% shooting from the floor in February.
Unfortunately, whenever there’s some good news for the Lakers, there is inevitably some bad news attached, as Los Angeles’ sparse offensive production continues to plague the team. The two biggest no-shows on offense for the Lakers were \Deandre Ayton and LeBron James. Ayton finished the game with just 2 points and 4 rebounds, while James scored just 15 points on 7-of-16 shooting from the floor.
Lakers Teetering On the Edge Of the Play-In Following Loss
It’s hard to imagine a team that has star players like both Luka and LeBron on it to be anywhere near the play-in tournament, but the Lakers are quickly making that a reality. After their third straight loss, the Lakers now sit just two games ahead of the Phoenix Suns for the 6th-place spot in the West. The loss also means that Los Angeles will stay put as the Minnesota Timberwolves hold a game-and-a-half lead over them for 5th-place.
This latest tailspin by the Lakers continues to reduce their chances of attaining a higher seed for the playoffs, as only 24 games remain in the regular season. If the Lakers want to climb their way out of this current predicament, the turnaround has to start now.
