The Lakers challenge the Suns on the road today, the league's third matchup of the season. The Lakers gave up 45 points in the first quarter and lost by 17 points in a single quarter. Although the Lakers frantically chased points after that, the inside rebound was blown up, and there were no free throws in the second half. In the end, they lost 113-123 to the Suns, and the key card battle failed. The Lakers lost to the Suns and fell to 10th, the Warriors moved up to 9th, and the Suns moved up to 7th.
The King Returns. James showed a king-like dominance throughout the game. On the offensive end, he showed not only efficient individual ability, but also excellent team organization. Especially in the third quarter, James achieved an amazing dunk through consecutive steals and quick counterattacks, quickly chasing the Lakers to a 5-point gap. However, he was a bit sloppy defensively and needed to improve on his turnovers. James scored 28 points on 19 shots, 12 of which he hit, while contributing seven rebounds, 12 assists, two steals and one block. This performance fully demonstrated his versatility in the game, but also highlighted some technical shortcomings.
Death pulls the crotch. After a few games, Durant's performance was not ideal, and in this game, his efficiency on the offensive end dropped significantly, and he almost lost the game to the Suns. The Lakers launched a targeted defensive strategy against Durant, with Hachimura, James and Prince taking turns to create problems for Durant. Throughout the game, Durant made 20 shots, hitting 7 of them and 2 of 8 three-pointers, and finally contributed 22 points, 5 rebounds, 7 assists and 2 blocks. This series of stats shows that the Lakers' defensive arrangement has successfully weakened Durant's threat, leaving him in a rather difficult position on the offensive end.
Thick eyebrows are weak. At the beginning of the game, the Lakers suffered a serious test on the inside, unable to effectively attack and lose a lot to their opponents in defensive rebounds. In the first half, Nurkic stirred up the storm alone, grabbing an astonishing 13 rebounds, while Bushy Brow only had five rebounds. In the third quarter, thick eyebrows finally ushered in an outbreak, contributing 10 points and 4 rebounds in a single quarter. Despite trying to catch up in the second half, the Lakers' inside rebounds still failed to suppress the opponent's outburst. In the game, he made 11 of 17 shots, scoring 22 points, 14 rebounds, three steals and two blocks. Despite his efforts in the second half, the interior rebounding problem persisted, and it was a game full of twists and turns.
Wonderful recap. The Suns' offense took turns, Allen dribbled through and made a successful layup, and his eight-inch bottom corner three-pointer was also very accurate. Then, Booker steals and counterattacks, cleverly assists Durant to complete the layup, and James also has an assist, and Russell successfully plays 2+1. Nurkic used a tough move to eat the thick eyebrows, creating a 2+1 opportunity. In addition, Booker also showed off his skill in his step-back jumper, finishing all at once. O'Neal hit an easy three-pointer from an open position. In the first quarter of the game, the Lakers' defense looked a little lax, and the Suns scored an astonishing 45 points in a single quarter.
In the second quarter, Russell scored five points on consecutive shots, and O'Neal scored a three-pointer to maintain the advantage for the Suns. James flew and dunked, James connected with the line, Prince opened the three-pointer, Durant assisted Nurkic, and the Suns still maintained a lead of more than ten points. Eight inches Lei 2+1, Russell stepped back for three points, and the Lakers ended the half with a 9-point deficit of 63-72.
In the third quarter, James continued to exert his strength on the offensive end, and the thick eyebrows seemed to find his state with consecutive dunks, and the Lakers continued to chase points during this period, but Durant and Booker shot to stabilize the situation, and the Suns still led by 5 points after three quarters.
In the last quarter, the Suns' Allen and Durant continued to maintain their outside touch, James made three-point shots in succession, and thick eyebrows scored consecutive points inside, but Allen and O'Neal could respond with three three-pointers in a row. In the end, the Suns held on to the victory.
Statistics. O'Neal had 20 points, 10 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 steals, Nurkic 18 points, 22 rebounds and 7 assists, Allen 24 points, Booker 21 points, 3 rebounds and 9 assists, and Bol 11 points, 4 rebounds and 2 blocks.
Hachimura had 13 points and 4 rebounds, Reaves had 14 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists, Russell had 20 points, 3 rebounds and 7 assists, and Prince had 8 points.