The Los Angeles Lakers have hit a lull in the absence of LeBron James (groin) and Rui Hachimura (knee). They come home after a grueling four-game trip (featuring Boston, Milwaukee and Denver) to ball with the Phoenix Suns, who are still trudging through their all-time disappointing season. If nothing else, the stars are out on Sunday afternoon, with Luka Dončić, Kevin Durant and Devin Booker sharing a floor in LA.
How to watch Phoenix Suns at Los Angeles Lakers
How Phoenix can win
The Lakers coughed up turnovers on their road run. Entering this weekend, Dončić had either five or six giveaways in each of his last seven games. The Suns are a decidedly half-court team (27th in fast break points, 20th in pace), and they’re a sieve on the other end. Needless to say, they’ll oblige to gifted possessions and extra opportunities to set up the offense.
The Suns get their best results from spot-ups, with an eFG% matching mighty Boston and Cleveland on those plays. They’re also in the 93rd percentile for catch-and-shoot offense. The vibes are sour at large, but Bradley Beal, Tyus Jones and Royce O’Neale are all still capable of hitting from their spots. Durant walks into the weekend with 50.9/48.8 percent March shooting splits.
Getting buckets is not the issue here. In fact, Phoenix led the NBA in field goal and 3-point percentage in its first dozen games following the All-Star break. The Suns somehow went 4-8 in that stretch.
How Los Angeles can win
Getting off the road helps. The Lakers are 9-1 in LA since making the Dončić trade. Supporting players get right when they’re at home … and playing that deflated, miserable Phoenix defense. Gabe Vincent, Dalton Knecht and Jarred Vanderbilt have shot the ball better on Figueroa Ave. A corrective from Dorian Finney-Smith would go a long way right now. He was 2-of-7 from behind the arc in the loss to the Celtics and 1-of-5 in the Bucks L.
The Lakers have a timeshare at the free-throw line this season, and they’ve been dominating the foul differential. The aggressive Dončić could be looking at 10 or more free tries; Phoenix is no paradigm of discipline and won’t suddenly turn that around for an afternoon weekend game in LA, where the Lake Show is 19-5 as the home favorite.
The team is in a good place when Austin Reaves is grooving (a 125 offensive rating in wins and a 107 rating in losses). Booker, Beal and Jones have offered little resistance along the perimeter.
Starting five of players to wear both jerseys (min. 50 games with each franchise):
- Steve Nash
- Gail Goodrich
- Connie Hawkins
- A.C. Green
- Shaquille O’Neal
Cedric Ceballos would get buckets off the bench. Three current Lakers have worn the Suns’ purple and orange: Alex Len, Jordan Goodwin and Markieff Morris.
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