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The Los Angeles Lakers had a blowout win over the bottom-placed Phoenix Suns 120-96. The Lakers have now won three straight while the Phoenix Suns are lying at the bottom of the table.
The Lakers started the game very slow. They had a 17 point deficit early in the first quarter. But the Lakers quickly turned things around behind some strong plays from the bench unit to finish the half leading by 15 points.
Devon Booker got injured in the first half and didn't return to action after that. This is the second time that Booker had got an in-game injury while playing the Lakers this season. In the absence of Booker, the Suns lacked the offensive threat to match the Lakers. None of the Suns' players managed to score more than 15 points in the match. The Lakers had 6 of their players scoring in the double digits. Here are some key takeaways from the game:
#3 Good shooting display from the Lakers
The Lakers had a good day shooting the basketball. The Lakers shot 50% from the field and 41% from beyond the arc.
Kyle Kuzma led the team in scoring with 23 points on 8-14 shooting from the field. LeBron James again stuffed the stat sheet going for 22 points, 6 rebounds and 8 assists in just 30 minutes of action. Most of the Lakers starters sat out the entire fourth quarter of this blowout victory.
After scoring only 21 points in the first quarter, the Lakers went off in the second quarter scoring 40 points. Caldwell Pope had a buzzer beater 3 to end the second quarter after James drove into the lane and then kicked the ball into the waiting hands of Pope for an easy corner shot.
#2 Poor effort from the Suns
The Phoenix Suns had a poor game on the boards. They could not manage to grab onto the rebounds and that also played a major factor in them playing catch up right after the first quarter.
The Lakers outrebounded the Suns 56-40. Even on the offensive boards, the Lakers were superior having a 11-7 rebounding advantage. Phoenix Suns looked short on personnel to match the Lakers and LeBron James.
None of the Phoenix Suns managed to shoot great from the field. The Suns lacked the firepower needed to compete in the match. Booker's injury also meant that their most potent offensive weapon was unavailable for most of the match. The Suns' number one overall pick Ayton finished the game with a double-double of 10 points and 10 rebounds.
The Suns next face Sacramento Kings on Tuesday night.
#1 Great defensive intensity shown by the Lakers
The Lakers are winning some of the matches by their defense. This was one such incident. The Lakers piled up the defensive pressure right from the start.
Lonzo Ball is looking better on defense with each passing day. Despite his shortcomings on the scoring front so far, Ball has displayed tremendous energy on defense and has become a key contributor on that end. Ball had 3 steals before even halfway point in the first quarter. Ball finished with 4 steals for the match after his 5 steals performance against the Dallas Mavericks.
Javale McGee and Tyson Chandler also look great on interior defense. They have added the much-needed toughness to the Lakers lineup. The Lakers managed to keep the Suns at bay throughout. None of the Suns' starters shot more than 50% from the field.
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