It wasn’t so much the feeling of déjà vu but watching a star-studded and spiritless Los Angeles Lakers squad that reinforced how far the Phoenix Suns have come, and a 125-108 complete annihilation on Monday was further proof of what works in basketball.
This was shocking in so many ways. The Lakers started the year 15-4 (were also on a seven-game win streak) and Phoenix was already shorthanded before Devin Booker played only the first 10 minutes of the game, and he was -1 in those 10 minutes before getting ruled out due to a groin injury.
Everything we’ve now come to expect from the Suns completely floored the Lakers and translated the most directly it has statistically all year.
Phoenix won fastbreak points 28-2 and forced 22 Lakers giveaways to also crush in points off turnovers 32-13. Steals were 16-1 Suns.
The Lakers will look at it from the perspective of being on the second game of a back-to-back and three games in four days, but they were coming off of getting just two games in 10 days. The Suns haven’t come close to any such break, and this was their seventh game in 11 days.
To be clear, everything out of L.A. regarding the purple and gold has been positive — a now 15-5 start filled with great vibes and good camaraderie.
But once it became obvious in the second quarter that the Lakers were going to have to spike their player movement, rotate with purpose defensively and run back in transition to compete in this one despite how much more talented they were, they got run off the floor.
“If you don’t play hard against that team, you’re gonna get exposed,” Lakers coach J.J. Redick said postgame.
Booker’s absence didn’t halt any momentum despite Phoenix (13-9) also missing Grayson Allen (illness) and Jalen Green (right hamstring strain).
Phoenix closed on a 19-4 run in the last 3:43 of the first half to lead by 14. Dillon Brooks began the game 1-of-5 before making 10 of his last 11 shots in the half for 23 of his 33 points.
Even with the Lakers being able to take in that Booker was out, their energy was nonrespondent. Phoenix was now having to run primary actions with the likes of Brooks, Royce O’Neale and others doing the playmaking. And it was working.
When shots wouldn’t fall, L.A. would sleepwalk into yet another turnover and show dejected body language jogging back.
Phoenix extended the lead to 21 entering the fourth quarter, and while the Lakers at last showed signs of an actual response, Collin Gillespie caught fire with three of his eight 3-pointers for a career-high 28 points to keep the margin at 20-plus.
After yet another Lakers timeout was called, their attention instead turned to LeBron James maintaining his streak of 10 points or more in 1,296 straight games, with James only at six. He got three straight touches to score four more (in a way he hadn’t been a focal point all game) and then L.A. put in the end of the bench.
Assists were 35-18 Suns. At one point in the mid-third quarter, O’Neale had more assists than the entire Lakers team. He tied his career high of 11.
This would be the seventh season of the last nine during which Booker has either a groin or hamstring issue pop up in the month of December or January. The vast majority of those were on the left side of his body, so if there’s a bright side to the news, it’s that. For whatever reason, this portion of the calendar is when his body will run into an obstacle.
A notable rotation change for Phoenix was going with two centers and Nick Richards getting his first DNP of the year. He has had a brutal few performances in the last couple of weeks and it looks like he might now be out of the short-term picture.
Luka Doncic scored 20 of his 38 points in the first quarter but was totally lethargic in every part of the floor, even with his scoring. He turned it over nine times and Austin Reaves added five to go with his 16 points.
The Lakers seem pretty psyched with Deandre Ayton’s play so far but this is the type of night they can’t afford.
With how lackadaisical their stars can already get on the defensive end and in transition, having the big partake in that too is major trouble. Phoenix’s Mark Williams was aware of it from the get-go and Ayton had no interest in running back to track him.