The Los Angeles Lakers secured a convincing 107-96 victory against the Phoenix Suns at home on Sunday, snapping a four-game losing streak thanks to another standout performance from Luka Dončić.
This win marked the first for L.A. since LeBron James was sidelined with a groin strain, as they had suffered three consecutive losses without him on the court. James is expected to be out for at least another week due to the injury.
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The Lakers took control early in the game, establishing a lead in the first quarter and maintaining it throughout. Despite a brief surge from the Suns in the second quarter to narrow the gap, the Lakers extended their lead to 17 points by halftime.
Phoenix made a valiant effort to stage a comeback, led by a strong second-half performance from Kevin Durant. In the closing minutes, the Suns managed to cut the deficit to eight points, but couldn’t overcome the Lakers’ lead.
Dončić led all scorers with 33 points, along with 11 rebounds and eight assists, while Austin Reaves contributed a solid 28-point outing to propel the Lakers to victory.
Currently sporting a 31-37 record, the Suns are on the outside looking in for a playoff spot with only 14 games remaining in the season. The mounting pressure seemed evident as Durant appeared to engage in a heated exchange with head coach Mike Budenholzer during a first-quarter timeout.
While the nature of Durant and Budenholzer’s conversation remains unclear, tensions between the two have reportedly been simmering in recent weeks. Phoenix has struggled, losing five of their last eight games since the beginning of March. Shooting woes plagued the Suns on Sunday, particularly from beyond the arc, where they shot a dismal 9 of 41 from 3-point range.
On the other hand, the Lakers have faced challenges adjusting to James’ absence, compounded by injuries to several key starters. Rui Hachimura has been sidelined with a knee injury, while Dončić and Jaxson Hayes missed the Lakers’ previous game against the Denver Nuggets on Friday.
During the early stages of the fourth quarter, Dončić was seen receiving treatment on his right ankle after a collision, but he quickly returned to action, indicating the injury was not severe.
With a 41-25 record, the Lakers are tied in the loss column with four other Western Conference teams. However, they have played fewer games than those teams, providing them with additional opportunities to improve their playoff positioning before the season concludes.