With 6.4 seconds left on the clock and the Lakers down by three, the Suns quickly sent James to the line before he could even put up a shot. He sank the first, then threw the second off the rim, hoping to secure a final chance. But O’Neale snatched the rebound, and the Suns clinched their revenge over the Lakers, 109-105.
The Lakers were overmatched by the Suns’ dynamic duo. Durant was a major force, netting 30 points, grabbing 8 rebounds, and blocking 4 shots. Devin Booker complimented him perfectly, scoring 33 points.
Davis pioneered his team’s attack with a monster performance. He had 29 points, 15 rebounds and 3 blocks. Austin Reaves followed suit with 23 points and 8 rebounds, while Rui Hachimura added a solid 20 points and 10 rebounds. However, their efforts weren’t enough to prevent a bitter first loss of the season.
The game was tight in the beginning until the Lakers broke the game wide open with a 24-9 run. Davis single handedly took care of Phoenix scoring 16 points. But the Suns and Durant battle back to make it a single digit game.
Durant and Booker punished the Lakers
The intensity ramped up in the second quarter when Booker hit back-to-back threes, narrowing the gap to (34-36). Despite this momentum, the Suns decided to pull him out, which allowed the Lakers to mount a surge. But Booker made up for lost time after coming back in, scoring 9 points, to give his team a 2-point advantage.
The third was a slugfest but a hot three-point shooting from the Lakers propelled them into a 7-point advantage. Both teams went at it in the fourth. Reaves ignited the Lakers with a four-point play that pushed them ahead (98-97). But Durant took over, scoring 8 points to put his squad back in front. James quickly responded with a crucial three, pulling his team closer (104-105). However, O’Neale came through in the clutch, hitting a vital shot to give the Suns a 3-point lead and securing the rebound to close the game.
The Lakers visit Cleveland on Thursday while the Suns go against the Clippers on Friday.
