Suns vs Lakers

Action Network NBA analyst Raheem Palmer previews Tuesday's matchup between the Los Angeles Lakers and Phoenix Suns.

The Suns have all the advantages in this matchup and Devin Booker has terrorized this Lakers team all season long, averaging 25.3 points, 7.0 assists and 5.3 rebounds in their three games this season. That said, I’m not willing to back the Lakers either as they’ve lost six straight games and failed to cover four out of their last five. The Lakers haven’t been able to put up much resistance against the Suns this season with three Suns wins all coming by double digits in games with final scores of 115-105, 108-90 and 140-111. That said, with the Suns having everything wrapped up, motivation is a concern here and they come off 117-96 loss on the road to the Oklahoma City Thunder as 14.5 point favorites. The total is intriguing however as my model makes this game 233. James is questionable for this matchup with an ankle injury but you have to assume he will play given the importance of this game. With injuries to both LeBron James and Anthony Davis, the Lakers have seen their duo play just 22 games together this season. Even more impressive is that they’ve maintained their dominance in the absence of Chris Paul who missed 16 games this season. They’re just 4-16 during this span with a Net Rating of -7.8, only the Portland Trail Blazers and Oklahoma City Thunder have been worse. On Tuesday night, they’ll host the Los Angeles Lakers in a rematch of last year’s first round playoff series in what could be a funeral for the team from L.A. If it weren’t for the Brooklyn Nets, the Lakers may quite possibly be one of the most disappointing teams we’ve seen in recent memory. For real-time injury updates, check out our FantasyLabs NBA news page.

The Phoenix Suns were the heavy favorites here for a reason. After three quarters it's looking more and more like their high-powered offense is just too ...

- Nov 06, 2016 - Los Angeles 119 vs. - Mar 09, 2017 - Los Angeles 122 vs. - Nov 13, 2017 - Los Angeles 100 vs. - May 09, 2021 - Los Angeles 123 vs. - May 25, 2021 - Los Angeles 109 vs. The game between the Lakers and the Denver Nuggets on Sunday was not a total blowout, but with Los Angeles falling 129-118 at home, it was darn close to turning into one. - May 27, 2021 - Los Angeles 109 vs. Los Angeles and Phoenix will face off in a Pacific Division battle at 10:30 p.m. ET on Tuesday at Footprint Center. Both teams took a loss in their last game, so they'll have plenty of motivation to get the 'W.' The Suns' defense has more to brag about, as they they have been holding their opponents to a field goal percentage of 44.40%, which places them third in the league. After three quarters it's looking more and more like their high-powered offense is just too much for the Los Angeles Lakers as Phoenix lead 100-80. Meanwhile, Phoenix's and the Oklahoma City Thunder's matchup on Sunday was up for grabs at halftime, but the Suns were thoroughly outmatched 65-43 in the second half. One thing to keep an eye out for is Deandre Ayton's foul situation as he currently sits at four.

Get a recap of the Los Angeles Lakers vs. Phoenix Suns basketball game.

... The Suns hosted a sellout crowd for a 25th straight game. Once the Suns built their big lead, the Lakers didn't seem particularly interested in mounting a comeback. Booker scored 16 points in the third and finished 12 of 22 from the field, including 6 for 9 from 3-point range. ... The Suns swept the Lakers this season, winning all four games. Even without James, the Lakers led for a big chunk of the first half. The Suns took a 63-58 into halftime. He came into the game averaging 5.8 points per game. ... The Suns topped their previous record of 62 wins in a season. It was a tight game on Tuesday during the first half but Phoenix used a 29-9 run in the third quarter to create separation. Booker signed his jersey during the postgame celebration before handing it to team radio broadcaster Al McCoy, who is in the midst of his 50th season on the microphone. We have all put in the work. “And there's a lot more to go.

But missing an injured LeBron James for a second-straight game, the Lakers were humiliated by the Suns, with only a 12-point run in the final quarter ensuring ...

Irving took control with the next eight points before Brooklyn cruised with a double-digit lead for the remainder. It meant Brooklyn fielded a brand-new starting five – the Nets’ 43rd different starting line-up in just 79 games (Durant, Brown, Drummond, Patty Mills, Irving). Russell Westbrook had 28 points for the Lakers as Anthony Davis added 21 points and 13 rebounds. But a late surge from the Raptors saw off the fightback. The 10th-placed San Antonio Spurs beat the Denver Nuggets despite Nikola Jokic’s 41 points and 17 rebounds in 40 minutes. Their 11 wins from those 21 appearances showed glimpses of promise - a promise that the Lakers never managed to deliver on. I’m disappointed for the Buss family [franchise owners], who gave us all this opportunity. Joel Embiid drained 45 points for the Philadelphia 76ers in a 131-122 win over the Indiana Pacers, to move to the top of the scoring title ladder for the season. Embiid added 13 rebounds in his 39 minutes, while Tyrese Maxey had 30 points and seven assists, and James Harden had 11 points and 14 assists for the Sixers. The Spurs’ victory meant the Lakers had to win to stay alive in the race for a play-in spot. I’m disappointed for our fan base. The Lakers needed to beat the top-seeded Phoenix Suns to keep alive their slim hopes of overhauling the Spurs for the 10th seed and a place in the NBA’s play-in tournament.

The Lakers' loss to the Suns was a move we've seen a few times this year, a perfect end to encapsulate their horrendous year.

On the bright side, at least we never have to watch this specific group of players participate in a game that even slightly mathematically matters again. But Phoenix put a beatdown on them after the break, leading by 24 midway through the third quarter and never being seriously threatened again. The Lakers, missing LeBron James once again, came out with a competitive first half, actually leading 31-28 after the first quarter and only trailing by five points at halftime.