Who: Phoenix Suns (12-9) @ Los Angeles Lakers (15-4)
When: 8:00pm Arizona Time
Where: Crypto.com Arena — Los Angeles, California
Watch: Peacock
Listen: KMVP 98.7, KSUN
The Suns will get their first look at the Los Angeles Lakers of the season tonight. Despite LeBron James being out for a majority of their games so far and Luka Dončić missing a handful, Los Angeles is sitting in the two spot in the West and winners of their last seven.
A main reason for their success so far? Dončić and Reaves have been scoring machines to start the season. The two are the highest-scoring duo in the NBA, averaging more than 64 points a game. Phoenix will have to deal with two of the NBA’s most dynamic guards.
The good news for Phoenix? Tonight’s contest looks to be the healthiest they’ve been in a couple of weeks. Grayson Allen returned on Saturday against the Denver Nuggets, and Ryan Dunn is listed as Probable on the injury report after missing the past week with a wrist injury.
Phoenix has lost three out of their last four, and this contest will be their fourth in eight days against a top-four team in the Western Conference Standings.
Probable Starters
Injury Report
Ryan Dunn – PROBABLE (Right Wrist Sprain)
Jalen Green – OUT (Right Hamstring Strain)
Isaiah Livers – OUT (Right Hip Strain)
Marcus Smart — OUT (Lower Back)
What to Watch for
How does the Suns’ offense look? They struggled mightily against the Nuggets on Saturday, who were without two of their top defenders, Christian Braun and Aaron Gordon. After an incredibly efficient start to the season, Devin Booker hasn’t shot over 5o% from the field in almost three weeks. Grayson’s Allen return should open up the floor for Booker and the rest of the starting lineup, but it didn’t do so in his first game back; Phoenix shot 14/42 from downtown.
Can Booker and crew get the offense going after a rough game on Saturday?
What is Phoenix’s plan to defend Dončić and Reaves? Presumably, Dillon Brooks will be on one of them, but what is Jordan Ott’s plan to slow down Los Angeles’ top scorers? If he plays and isn’t on a minutes restriction, don’t be surprised to see extended minutes from Dunn with his athleticism and length, making him a candidate to not only guard LeBron James, but also Dončić or Reaves at times.
How do the Suns limit Los Angeles’ explosive scorers?
Key to a Suns Win
Phoenix needs to get back to what they’ve done best this season. They need to shoot a lot of threes and make a lot of them. They’ve been one of the best three-point shooting and making threes this season, and it’s why they’ve surprised many people. With Allen back in the lineup, the Suns put themselves in a spot to get back to their style of basketball.
Mark Williams needs to have a big game. Even if Devin Booker has a strong game, the Lakers look to have the advantage on the perimeter. Former Sun Deandre Ayton is having a strong year in his first year with Los Angeles, averaging 16 points per game and shooting above 70% from the field. Williams did not play in the team’s loss to Denver on Saturday. He needs to have a strong game and limit Ayton if the Suns want to pull off the upset on national television.
Prediction
This will be the Suns’ sixth game in nine days, which includes two back-to-backs in that span. Phoenix showed some fatigue down the stretch against the Nuggets, and even with another rotation player likely back in the lineup, I see the team looking lethargic before they have a long break until their next game. Expect the Suns to be feisty and competitive, but I don’t think they get it done.
Lakers 113, Suns 105