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Two of the top four Western Conference teams in Phoenix Suns and LA Lakers will face each other at the Staples Center on Tuesday night.
The LA Lakers have been in trouble since Anthony Davis' injury and lost four games in a row before Dennis Schroder's return helped them snap that streak. With a 5-5 record in their last 10 games, the Purple and Gold occupy the second position in the West (24-11).
With an 8-2 record in their last 10 games, the Phoenix Suns (22-11) are looking in great shape too. The enmeshing of Chris Paul with Devin Booker and Deandre Ayton has been a case of hitting the nail on its head. The trio is combining for nearly 60 points every game and has the support of a deep, injury-free bench.
Phoenix Suns vs LA Lakers prediction - March 3rd, 2021
With Anthony Davis injured, it seems the Phoenix Suns are quite close to snapping LA Lakers' two-game win streak in its infancy. However, the AD-less version of the 2020 champs is actually not that bad. The LA Lakers' rediscovered chemistry was on full display in their last two games, especially in the 117-91 blowout win against the Warriors last Sunday.
Phoenix Suns are shooting 48.3% from the field and 37.5% from beyond the arc this season. On top of that, they are fifth in the league in assists per game (26.9) and eighth in offensive rating (115.4). In comparison, the LA Lakers average 24.6 assists per game and have a 110.8 offensive rating.
While the Phoenix Suns are better than LA Lakers this season in three-point shooting and commit fewer turnovers per game, they're not used to playing possessions as quickly. In other words, the Phoenix Suns vs LA Lakers match-up tonight will be anything but dull.
Phoenix Suns vs LA Lakers combined starting 5 - March 3rd, 2021
We start off with the visitors for tonight's game. If the Phoenix Suns have got it going this season, a big chunk of the credit goes to Devin Booker, Chris Paul and Deandre Ayton.
Devin Booker is leading the team in scoring with 25.5 ppg on 50.1% shooting while also averaging 3.6 rebounds and 4.3 assists. Booker scored a season-high 43 points in Phoenix Suns' last game against the Minnesota Timberwolves. The 24-year-old shooting guard shot 57.1% from the field, despite missing five of his six three-pointer attempts in the game.
Chris Paul is performing the role of a facilitator excellently for the Phoenix Suns with nine assists per game this season. In the Suns' win against the Timberwolves, CP3 tallied 15 assists without committing a single turnover. Paul is contributing towards scoring as well. The 35-year-old point guard is averaging 16.4 points per game with a 48.8% shooting accuracy.
Next up is LeBron James. The 'King' just has no aging mechanism. Even in his 18th year in the NBA, he is leading the LA Lakers in points (25.5) and assists (7.8). His 8.1 rebounds per game are second only to Anthony Davis who is sidelined with an injury.
James is playing 34.5 minutes every contest and hasn't missed a single game this season. His shooting accuracy of 50.4% is even better than that of Devin Booker and Chris Paul. In the LA Lakers' win against Portland Trail Blazers, James registered a double-double with 28 points, 11 rebounds and 7 assists. Despite struggling tremendously from downtown in February, LeBron still has a three-point accuracy of 35.8% this season which is better than what he managed last year.
The second forward in this combined starting five is LA Lakers' Kyle Kuzma. The Purple and Gold's No.0 has seemed a bit quiet of late on the scoring end but he's developed into a great rebounder and rim protector.
On one hand, Kuzma is averaging 11.1 points, 6.5 rebounds and 1.1 assists per game. On the other, he also keeps the fouls to a minimum and has a better Player Efficiency Rating than Dennis Schroder. With sporadic shooting sprees and put-back dunks, Kuzma has kind of become a regular feature in second-chance plays.
The Phoenix Suns drafted Deandre Ayton with the first pick in the 2018 NBA Draft and the center hasn't made the team regret the decision ever since. In the NBA 2020-21 season, Ayton has been averaging a double-double. Putting up 14.5 points, 11.6 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.1 blocks per game, the 22-year-old has cemented his place as a two-way contributor. In the Phoenix Suns' win against the Timberwolves, Ayton was the second-highest scorer on the team with 22 points and 10 rebounds.
Also read: Phoenix Suns vs LA Lakers Prediction & Match Preview - March 2nd, 2021 | NBA Season 2020-21
Guess the Lakers players!
