On May 28, 1989, the Los Angeles Lakers carried a 10-game playoff winning streak into Game 4 of the NBA Western Conference Finals against the Phoenix Suns, looking to finish off their rival on the road.
With a win, the Lakers would sweep their third consecutive opponent in the postseason while simultaneously advancing to their third straight NBA Finals appearance as well. Los Angeles jumped out to a five-point cushion after one quarter of play and wound up outscoring Phoenix by an additional six points in the second.
The Lakers entered the second half with a comfortable 11-point lead and increased their margin by two at the end of the third quarter. The Suns wouldn’t go down without a fight, however, and dropped a game-high 43 points in the fourth quarter.
Though, it was to no avail as Los Angeles closed out another series victory and defeated Phoenix by a final score of 122-117.
Byron Scott led the Lakers with 35 points on 13-of-18 shooting from the field. He additionally sunk all three of his shots from behind the arc while converting 6-of-7 free throw attempts.
Magic Johnson pieced together a vintage performance with 21 points and 20 assists. He also collected three steals and one block on the defensive end as part of 41 minutes of action.
James Worthy filled up the stat sheet with 20 points, eight rebounds and six assists while shooting over 52 percent from the floor.
Tom Chambers recorded a massive double-double for the Suns behind a game-high 41 points and 13 rebounds. Kevin Johnson accumulated one for himself with 22 points and 10 assists.
The Suns also saw three reserves in Eddie Johnson (15), Dan Majerle (12) and Armen Gilliam (12) exceed the double-digit point threshold. While it was a good collective effort, the Lakers’ offensive display was ultimately too much to overcome.
Lakers lost to Pistons in NBA Finals
Los Angeles’ victory further ensured a rematch of the 1988 NBA Finals against the Detroit Pistons. This time, however, an injury-plagued Los Angeles was defeated in four games.
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