The Los Angeles Lakers picked up their first win of preseason when they took down the Golden State Warriors in their rematch. Heading into a rare back-to-back preseason set, the Lakers had a chance to exact more revenge this preseason as they took on the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday night.
Los Angeles was shorthanded in the first matchup and while key players sat out again, it marked Luka Doncic’s preseason debut. Head coach JJ Redick previously announced that Doncic was being load managed after participating in EuroBasket 2025, but the team finally decided to let their superstar loose.
The result of the game was a disappointing 113-104 loss, but it almost didn’t matter because Doncic picked up where he left off in EuroBasket. Doncic dominated the international competition and he looked just as comfortable on the floor against an undermanned Phoenix squad.
From the opening tip, it was clear the Suns had no answer for Doncic as he got whatever he wanted offensively. Doncic was effective throughout the entire night finding his own shot or creating good looks for teammates.
Doncic almost looked like he was toying with defenders on certain possessions before he subbed out for the final time in the third quarter. It was an efficient and encouraging first preseason outing for Doncic as he recorded 25 points, seven rebounds and four assists on 7-of-15 shooting from the field and 4-of-8 shooting from the 3-point line.
Austin Reaves has been tearing up preseason basketball and he continued his run despite having to share the basketball with Doncic. Phoenix did their best to press up on Reaves and force him to play through contact, but he was simply too good with the basketball and still got to his spots on the floor.
Reaves was excellent at finishing at the rim or drawing free throws, while he also had his jumper going. Like Doncic, Reaves poured in 25 points on 8-of-16 shooting to go along with four rebounds, two assists, one steal and one block.
Marcus Smart finally made his Lakers preseason debut, though the veteran wasn’t too involved offensively as he got re-acclimated. Smart played 20 minutes, but didn’t attempt a field goal.
Lastly, Deandre Ayton strung together another solid effort as he recorded a double-double of 10 points and 13 rebounds. He also had one assist, two steals and three blocks.
For the Suns, Jared Butler impressed with a game-high 35 points while former Laker Jordan Goodwin had 24 points and six assists.
What’s next for the Lakers
The Lakers play a rare back-to-back preseason set as they take on the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday in Las Vegas. They will then close out the preseason on Friday back home against the Sacramento Kings.
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