PHOENIX — The Phoenix Suns – without stars Devin Booker and Bradley Beal – fell short to the Los Angeles Lakers in 100-95 fashion, dropping to 1-1 on the season.
The Lakers scored seven unanswered points, five of which came as a direct result of turnovers. Turnovers were a major factor in Phoenix’s earlier victory over the Warriors, and that tendency continued into the second night of play.
Midway through the first quarter, however, the Suns found their footing and overtook the Lakers for a 14-13 advantage. After starting the season 0-6, Grayson Allen made his first basket for the Sun while also driving and kicking to open teammates.
With Phoenix up 17-16, Eric Gordon buried an open three-pointer for his seventh score of the quarter, prompting a timeout from the Lakers.
The Suns’ lead increased to double digits after the former Wizard made a floater with backup point guard Jordan Goodwin on the field.
The Suns led 30-18 after the first quarter because the Lakers only shot 35% and grabbed eight fewer boards than the Suns. Out of nine three-point shots, Los Angeles only made one.
At the 5:55 mark of the second quarter, the Lakers had taken a 38-35 lead after a 20-5 surge, forcing Frank Vogel to call timeout to calm his team down. During the streak, LeBron James scored seven points and dished out two assists.
The Suns delivered on their revised message by storming back from halftime with a 15-2 run that gave them a 52-48 advantage. Phoenix saw three players score in double figures, led by Kevin Durant (15 points), Eric Gordon (12 points), and Archie Goodwin (10 points).
Again in the third quarter, the Suns struggled with turnovers early on but managed to keep a slim lead over the Lakers until Kevin Durant took over with 15 third-quarter points to put the Suns up 84-72 going into the final frame.
Another Vogel timeout was needed after a 6-0 run by Los Angeles raised tensions, and things only got worse when Jusuf Nurkic was called for his fifth foul with 7:00 remaining.
The Suns started the final period going 0-for-12 from the field. The Lakers didn’t fare much better, but with 4:16 remaining, they tied the game on an And-1 from Davis.
When Phoenix’s next possession came around, Nurkic turned the ball over for the eighth time in the quarter, setting up LeBron for a stunning layup that gave Cleveland the lead.
After Durant tied the game at 91 (and moved above Hakeem Olajuwon for 12th on the NBA’s all-time scoring list), James scored eight straight points to put the Lakers ahead 95-91 with 41 seconds left.
The Suns couldn’t make up the deficit before time ran out, and they lost their season opener. In the fourth quarter, Phoenix was defeated by a score of 28-11.
