The Los Angeles Lakers have maintained their perfect record throughout two years of the Emirates NBA Cup and they look to continue that when they take on a familiar foe in the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday night. The Lakers are getting an important bench piece back in Jaxson Hayes, but the Suns are also back at full strength as All-Stars Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal are set to return.
Last season, the Lakers and Suns were in the same group with L.A. defeating them both in the group stage as well as the quarterfinals. This year, the Lakers currently sit atop of West Group B at 2-0 while the Suns are 1-1. The teams have also already played each other twice this season, splitting the first two games, so they are very familiar at this point.
The Lakers’ biggest advantage against Phoenix continues to be Anthony Davis as he has averaged 32 points, 11.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 2.5 blocks in two games against the Suns this year. And considering he is coming off his worst game of the season against the Denver Nuggets, he should be greatly motivated to get back to his previous form.
LeBron James always seems to bring his A-game when facing Durant, but the Lakers need the others to step up as well. Austin Reaves has been consistent, but Rui Hachimura is key on both ends of the court. The Lakers need him to keep knocking down open shots and most importantly, he should draw the primary assignment of defending Durant.
Defensively, the issues remain the same for the Lakers in clearing the glass and getting back in transition. The Suns aren’t a team that normally thrives in those areas, especially getting out on the break as they rank near the bottom of the league in pace and fastbreak points. But everyone seems to dominate the Lakers in those areas and even though it has been an area of focus for L.A., they have yet to fix those issues and Phoenix could take advantage.
The Lakers must also defend the 3-point line as the Suns rank in the top-10 in triples made and attempted and this game could get out of hand quickly if they get going from deep. Durant, Beal and Devin Booker are all capable of massive games while the likes of Royce O’Neale, Grayson Allen and Tyus Jones can get scorching hot from deep as well.
The Lakers need to bounce back after an awful showing against the Denver Nuggets on Saturday night and almost every contest between these two teams has come down to the wire in recent seasons. But Phoenix is also in the midst of a five-game losing streak and desperately wants to snap that with their stars back in uniform.
The Lakers know where their shortcomings lie and if they are focused on fixing those issues they could pick up a big road win. But they need to play 48 minutes of good basketball against a Suns team that looked like one of the league’s best when healthy, and they are healthy once again.
Los Angeles Lakers (10-6) vs Phoenix Suns (9-7)
7:00 p.m. PT, Tuesday, November 26, 2024
Footprint Center, Phoenix, Arizona
TV: TNT, Spectrum SportsNet
Radio: 710 AM ESPN LA
Projected Lakers Starting Lineup:
PG: Austin Reaves
SG: Cam Reddish
SF: Rui Hachimura
PF: LeBron James
C: Anthony Davis
Key Reserves: D’Angelo Russell, Dalton Knecht, Gabe Vincent, Jaxson Hayes, Max Christie
Projected Suns Starting Lineup:
PG: Tyus Jones
SG: Bradley Beal
SF: Devin Booker
PF: Kevin Durant
C: Jusuf Nurkic
Key Reserves: Royce O’Neale, Grayson Allen, Mason Plumlee, Ryan Dunn
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