The Los Angeles Lakers escaped the Valley of the Sun on Sunday with a win in dramatic fashion.
The Lakers defeated the Phoenix Suns 116-114 in one of the crazier games of the 2025-26 NBA season thus far to move to 18-7 in the season. After holding a 20-point lead in the fourth quarter, the Lakers took their foot off the gas and almost blew the lead.
The Suns came roaring back, and almost won the game with a clutch Dillon Brooks’ 3-pointer over LeBron James to take a 114-113 lead with 12.2 seconds.
However, after the play, Brooks made contact with James, bumping into him on the way back down the court, which earned him his second technical foul and led to an ejection.
The Lakers had a chance to tie the game shortly after; however, to many people’s surprise, it was James who shot the technical free throw, which he ended up missing.
After the game, James addressed why he was the one who took the technical foul instead of a player like Luka Doncic.
“Shit I just walked up to the free throw line,” James said. Why wouldn’t I?”
“I mean I’ve been okay with Luka [Doncic] taking it too, we’ve both been in pressure situations, but I just took it. Unfortunately, I missed it, but I made up for it,” James continued.
Luckily, James redeemed himself on the next possession when Suns’ star guard Devin Booker fouled James on a three-point shot. The 40-year-old missed the first of three free throws, but he made the next two to give the Lakers a one-point lead.
In the season, James is shooting an abysmal 61.9 percent from the charity stripe.
The Suns had a chance to win the game, but Grayson Allen got up an awkward shot at the buzzer, which was way off the mark.
The game on Sunday was one of the more wild ones of the season, and while James almost cost the Lakers the game, he made up for it afterward.
The Lakers moved to an impressive 11-3 on the road and have the next three days off before facing the Utah Jazz on Thursday.
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