This was one of the ugliest games of basketball we’ve had to endure all season long. The Suns fell to the Lakers due to a series of events that are difficult to describe without getting upset.
I’m not going to sugarcoat it. This is one of the most one-sided officiated games I’ve seen since the Tim Donaghy days. Not even Scott Foster was as bad as this crew.
The Suns got Devin Booker back in this one, and he poured in 27 points with 7 assists and 3 rebounds in 31 minutes. Mark Williams chipped in 20
points, 6 rebounds, and 3 blocks. Luka had 29 points, LeBron had 26. The Lakers shot 18 more free throws than the Suns.
These teams are clearly not fans of each other. It was a hard-fought game with plenty of chippiness and a whole lot of free throws (for one side).
Los Angeles led by 20, and Phoenix rallied back to take a brief one-point lead before LeBron went to the line four times and made two to give the Lakers a one-point lead.
Game Flow
First Half
The Lakers jumped out to a quick start, taking a 15-8 lead led by Luka and Ayton. Dillon Brooks picked up an early technical after a shoving match with LeBron James.
Mark Williams and Deandre Ayton were trading buckets early down low, including this sweet dime from Grayson to the big fella.
Phoenix fought back to offset a 7-point Lakers lead to take a lead of their own. Royce O’Neale hit a trio of quick triples to kickstart the Suns.
Phoenix took a 36-31 lead into the second quarter. O’Neale led all Suns with 9, and Williams had 8. Doncic led all scorers with 10.
The second quarter was just as chaotic as the end of the first quarter. Things were chippy, with several plays being reviewed for hostile acts, take fouls, etc, you name it. LeBron and Brooks certainly had no love lost.
Royce had his shot going, and Devin Booker started to get going offensively with a pair of and-ones.
At halftime, we were tied at 64 apiece. Luka led all scorers with 17, O’Neale had 12 to pace the Suns.
Second Half
The second half was more of the same as the first. Two teams with no love lost between them.
LeBron and Brooks went at it again, this time with Bron making contact with an official.
The Lakers went on a massive third-quarter run to take a nine-point lead into the 4th.
Los Angeles turned up the defensive intensity and shut the Suns down for an extended stretch. A 24-0 run that spanned from midway through the third quarter all the way until the 9:26 mark in the 4th. They went 7:55 without scoring.
Phoenix was held to just 15 points in the 3rd quarter.
The Lakers were up 22-8 in offensive rebounds, and points off turnovers were 27-22 in favor of the Lakers. Combine that with the free-throw disparity, and things started to get ugly with the Lakers blowing it open with a few flashy dunks in transition to make it a 20-point advantage.
Phoenix fought back to cut it down to 7, but the Lakers answered with a run of their own to push it back up to 15. Then, the Suns went on another quick run to push it back down to 7 again with just under 2 minutes remaining.
Then a furious 12-0 run got the Suns to within two with under a minute remaining. They just couldn’t get it done in the end due to some questionable reviews and calls that seemed to go LA’s way every single time. LeBron shoved a ref, hand checked Brooks in the ribs, and got away with what should’ve been a four-point play on Brooks’ three.
Up Next
The Suns have a few days off, but will host the Warriors in Phoenix on Thursday.
