The Los Angeles Lakers are embarking on a critical stretch of nine games in which they will face six Western Conference teams that are ahead of them in the standings. This stretch will go a long way in determining their chances of making the playoffs in April.
It started on Sunday afternoon on the road against the Phoenix Suns, a team that came in 2.5 games ahead of L.A. in eighth place in the Western Conference. Los Angeles won three of its first four games against Kevin Durant and crew this season, but Sunday’s game would turn out differently.
After the first few minutes were relatively competitive, the Suns built as much as a 20-point lead and were up 45-28 at the end of the first quarter as L.A. went cold offensively and got badly outrebounded. It was able to chop away at its deficit and come to within 72-63 at halftime, and it trailed by just two points late in the third quarter as it got warm offensively.
But just when it looked like Phoenix was about to suffer another late collapse, it extended its advantage to 12 early in the fourth quarter. The Lakers were never able to make a true challenge afterward, as they ultimately fell by the final score of 123-113.
In the end, the Lakers’ lack of rebounding did them in — they were outrebounded 51-34, and they gave up 14 offensive boards, which led to 22 second-chance points for the Suns. While they shot 15-of-35 from 3-point range, they attempted 11 fewer free throws, which is a disadvantage they haven’t had very often.
This loss dropped the Lakers to a 31-28 record, and while they’re still in ninth place in the Western Conference, their upcoming games against the Los Angeles Clippers and Denver Nuggets in the next several days will now carry even greater weight.
Anthony Davis: B-minus
Davis had just four points on four shot attempts in the first half as the Lakers didn’t get him the ball much. He was more aggressive in the third quarter, and eventually, his perimeter shot started to fall.
He scored 22 points overall on 11-of-17 shooting, but he didn’t attempt a single free throw, which was indicative of the lack of paint touches he had. He did, however, do a good job in other categories with 14 rebounds, three steals and two blocked shots.
On the other hand, Jusuf Nurkić, his opposite number, had 18 points and a whopping 22 rebounds, seven of them coming on the offensive boards, not to mention seven assists. On the season, Nurkic averages just 11.8 points and 10.3 rebounds a game.
This game was ultimately lost by the Lakers in the first quarter. Had they made it an emphasis to get Davis the ball inside during that time, perhaps the outcome of the contest would’ve been different.
Rui Hachimura: B
Hachimura was reasonably aggressive and effective on Sunday, at least in the first half. He shot 5-of-9 and made both of his 3-point attempts, giving him 13 points in 26 minutes. While he scored eight points in the first quarter and 11 points by halftime, he was silent afterward as L.A. tried to give itself a chance to win.
Austin Reaves: C
Reaves shot 2-of-6 and missed all three of his 3-point attempts in the first half. While he played somewhat better in the second half, he never truly got going. He finished 5-of-12 overall and 2-of-7 from downtown and scored 14 points, to go along with four rebounds, four assists and one steal in 35 minutes.
D'Angelo Russell: B
Russell was quiet in the opening minutes, but he started to get himself going late in the first quarter and early in the second quarter. He scored 18 points in the first half, which led both teams, and he shot 7-of-9 from the field while hitting four 3-pointers. He almost single-handedly prevented the game from completely getting away from the Lakers during the stretch.
However, Russell’s aggression waned in the third quarter. He attempted five shots in the second half and made just one of them, giving him just two points after halftime.
He did finish with a strong 20 points while also dishing off seven assists. He even had an emphatic rejection on Devin Booker while running back in transition, which is an example of his increased effort on the defensive end this season.
But when the Lakers were making their run in the second half, they needed Russell to provide them with some firepower that would’ve perhaps allowed them to actually take a lead and win the game.
LeBron James: A-minus
James was extremely efficient for most of the game, as he picked and chose when to assert himself offensively. His production was consistent from quarter to quarter, and he ended up scoring 28 points on 12-of-19 from the field and 3-of-6 from beyond the arc. He also dished off a game-high 12 assists and pulled down seven rebounds while adding two steals and one blocked shot.
But James didn’t get to the free throw line at all in the second half, and on a couple of critical possessions in the final minutes, he was slow getting back on defense. On the other hand, it didn’t seem as if his bothersome ankle was affecting his play or mobility.
Spencer Dinwiddie: D
Dinwiddie is still in the process of getting acclimated to his new team. But while he’s already helping his new teammates with his facilitating and ability to attack off the dribble, he needs to hit shots, especially from long distance. He went just 1-of-5 overall and 1-of-4 from 3-point land on Sunday, and while he had two assists in 23 minutes, his value to the Lakers drops significantly when he’s not knocking down shots with enough regularity.
Taurean Prince: C
Prince played decently in the first half, as he made two of his five 3-point attempts and shot 3-of-7 overall. But he went scoreless in the second half when L.A. could’ve used another trey or two from him to sustain its rally a little longer.
Jaxson Hayes: F
On Sunday, Hayes didn’t grab a single rebound or block any shots. On the other hand, head coach Darvin Ham gave him just six minutes of playing time. Perhaps a couple of longer stints would’ve been better for the team, as long as Hayes would’ve increased his energy and effort, as it badly needed his size and ability to rebound on both ends of the floor.
Max Christie: C-plus
Christie went 1-of-2 from downtown and contributed an assist, but he played just five minutes, which was puzzling given the promise he has shown throughout the season.
Skylar Mays, Dylan Windler: Incomplete
Mays and Windler came in during the final minute of the game. Mays had one rebound while Windler had one assist.
