Thursday night’s game against the Phoenix Suns at Acrisure Arena in Palm Springs was the last exhibition game for the Los Angeles Lakers.
Lakers head coach Darvin Ham utilized the last preseason game as a dress rehearsal, starting his healthy starters and going through his usual rotations for what amounted to two and a half quarters before the clubs meet again in the second game of the regular season next week.
However, Kevin Durant did play and faced LeBron James in a game for the first time since Christmas Day of 2018. Suns head coach Frank Vogel rested his star backcourt of Devin Booker and Bradley Beal.
Although the Lakers’ starters played well, their bench did not, and without a point guard on the court, the Suns easily pulled away in the second half for a 123-100 victory. The Lakers finished the preseason with a 2-4 record, but more importantly, nobody was hurt tonight.
The Lakers’ scoring began when Davis finished a nice lob off a give-and-go with D’Angelo Russell. After another uncontested layup by Davis, the Clippers were up 7-0, prompting Vogel to use his first timeout.
The Suns got on the board after the stoppage thanks to a pair of free throws from Durant, but the Lakers kept their early lead thanks to a 3-pointer from Austin Reaves made possible by some excellent ball movement.
Davis, meanwhile, was showcasing a defensive masterclass, recording five blocks in the opening eight minutes. The Lakers’ offense cooled off after that, allowing the Suns to come back and take a 24-20 lead into halftime.
The Lakers got a boost from the bench when Jaxson Hayes scored two quick points, and then James joined in on the scoring with a three-pointer and a layup to reclaim the lead. Meanwhile, Durant scored nine consecutive points to get the Suns moving.
Once Davis got back into the game, he scored a triple and then completed a three-point play to put things back in order. LeBron made two more threes, and Reaves made one, and the Lakers extended their advantage back to double digits. However, the Suns went on a mini-run at the end of the first half, powered by Durant and Eric Gordon, and they only trailed 58-54.
As predicted, the Laker starters only played a few minutes in the third quarter, while Durant’s night was done by halfway. As a result of their inability to pull away, the last 18 minutes of the exhibition game devolved into a fight of the bench players.
The Lakers, without any point guards, failed to finish the third quarter, allowing the Suns to seize the lead. After Keita Bates-Diop beat the third quarter buzzer, their lead ballooned to 16 points (89-73) in their favor.
Max Christie, filling in at point guard for an injured Lonzo Ball, scored a couple late points for the Lakers in their lopsided defeat.
