Coming off a successful home stand at Crypto.com Arena, the Los Angeles Lakers hit the road for their first road game of the 2024-25 season.
The Lakers drew a rematch against the Phoenix Suns, a team they narrowly beat just a few days ago and were looking to avenge the loss. Los Angeles nearly held on down the stretch, but it was Phoenix that pulled out a 109-105 victory.
Rui Hachimura got the scoring started by knocking down a 3-pointer and following it up with a lay in from Anthony Davis. Davis looked shaken up after a play where he landed awkwardly, but it didn’t bother him as he was able to get loose for easy baskets at the rim.
D’Angelo Russell keyed a Los Angeles run midway through the opening period, hitting Davis several times in transition while an Austin Reaves 3-pointer blew the game open at 26-8. However, Kevin Durant was able to get himself going and a Phoenix run made it a 34-25 game heading into the second.
The Suns continued their torrid stretch at the top of the quarter and were able to whittle the Laker lead down to just two. Hachimura was able to quell the Phoenix run with a couple of buckets, upping the lead back to seven.
Davis showed off his defensive chops by helping on a drive and recovering fast enough to block Durant, though Phoenix stayed within striking distance. Despite a strong offensive effort from Davis, the Lakers went into halftime trailing the Suns 50-48.
L.A.’s defense was too soft to begin the third as Phoenix got nearly any look they wanted, but Russell helped keep the team close. Hachimura gave the Lakers a boost with his hustle on the defensive end and knocked in a 3-pointer to bring the deficit down to one.
Hachimura and Davis carried the offense, taking turns scoring and retaking the lead in the process. There were some questionable calls from the officials toward the end of the third, but L.A. went into the final frame leading 83-76.
The Suns quickly erased the Laker lead after a couple of threes and soon after took the lead thanks to Devin Booker knocking down a pair of free throws. With LeBron James struggling offensively, Davis took it upon himself to take over and assert himself as a scorer.
The two teams went back and forth in the final minutes, with Reaves emerging as a much-needed scoring option. James had a chance to tie things up at the end after intentionally missing a free throw, but it was the Suns that would escape with a win.
What’s next for the Lakers
The Lakers will continue their road trip on Wednesday when they travel East to take on the Cleveland Cavaliers.
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