The Phoenix Suns (31-36) face the Los Angeles Lakers (40-25) on Sunday, airing on ABC and streaming on ESPN+ at 12:30 p.m.
This is the Suns’ final of their four-game Pacific Division series against their rival Lakers, which will be without LeBron James (groin), but Luka Doncic is available.
The Western Conference’s 11th-place Suns are led by Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal. They’re coming off a 122-106 home win over the Sacramento Kings on Friday. The Suns entered the game just one game out of the play-in tournament’s final No. 10 spot held by Dallas, after the Mavericks (33-36) lost earlier Sunday to the 76ers.
The Lakers have dropped from second to fifth place in the standings from a four-game skid over the past week.
Check for live updates of scores, highlights and statistics during the Suns-Lakers games.
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Suns struggle, Lakers’ Doncic takes over in 1st quarter
Luka Doncic scored 13 points as L.A. ended the first quarter on a 23-4 run, and they have a 31-15 lead over Phoenix.
Doncic outscored the Suns himself when he hit third triple at the two-minute mark when the Lakers were up 28-11, and the Lakers’ largest lead was 20 in the first quarter’s closing minutes.
The Suns shot an awful 27.3% including 1-of-11 from 3. They allowed nine points from the Lakers’ four forced turnovers. Kevin Durant (four points) and Suns coach Mike Budenholzer appeared to have a brief heated exchange during the Suns’ timeout at 2:33 after Doncic’s third 3 that pushed their deficit to 15.
Starting lineups
The Suns are starting Booker, Beal, Durant, Ryan Dunn at the three, and Nick Richards in the middle.
The Lakers are opening with Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves, former Suns guard Jordan Goodwin, Dorian Finney-Smith and Jaxson Hayes.
Suns’ Richards returns, Lakers’ Doncic in
Phoenix’s starting center Nick Richards (ankle) has been upgraded from questionable to available after he missed the past two games. Backup guards Grayson Allen (foot) and Monte Morris (low back) are out.
L.A.’s Luka Doncic (ankle), Jaxson Hayes (knee), Dalton Knecht (back), Dorian-Finney Smith (injury management) and Gabe Vincent (injury management).
