The Suns took care of business against the Lakers for the second straight preseason game.
The Suns and Lakers battled it out for the second straight preseason game, and for the second straight game, the Suns obliterated them. The final score was 123-94.
There was no sign of Devin Booker (again) or LeBron James (again) in this contest, but outside of that, the majority of both of these teams’ rotation got some action.
Simply put, Phoenix looked good. Really good. Landry Shamet got off to a hot start, scoring 8 points in the opening quarter. Chris Paul also started off scorching hot in the first half.
Deandre Ayton made a three! Wasn’t the prettiest looking shot, but encouraging nonetheless.
DeAndre Ayton for three!
Last season, he was 4 of 20 from three in the regular season and is 7 of 37 from three for his career#NBATwitter pic.twitter.com/GjHCLXUQuI
— ’ ️ (@_Talkin_NBA) October 11, 2021
Phoenix led at the half by a score of 51-44 and then broke the game open in the 3rd quarter and didn’t look back. Chris Paul dominated in the mid-range per usual.
Jalen Smith had some encouraging minutes, posting 12 points and 9 rebounds in 16 minutes of action. He looked as confident as ever and played with some aggression that was intriguing.
The Suns’ second unit looked poised and under control throughout, led by floor general Cam Payne 7 assists to 2 turnovers. McGee, Johnson, Nader, and Smith also provided quality minutes and helped lead the third-quarter surge.
Stat Leaders
Phoenix
Chris Paul- 15 points, 5 assists, 3 rebounds, 1 steal on 7-11 FG (1-4 3PFG)
Landry Shamet- 13 points, 3 rebounds, 1 steal on 4-9 FG (3-5 3PFG)
JaVale McGee- 12 points, 9 rebounds, 3 blocks, 2 assists on 4-5 FG
Deandre Ayton- 11 points, 9 rebounds, 1 assist on 4-8 FG (1-1 3PFG)
Los Angeles
Anthony Davis- 19 points, 6 assists, 3 rebounds, 5-12 FG
Russell Westbrook- 8 points, 9 turnovers, 5 assists, 3-12 FG
Carmelo Anthony- 17 points, 4 rebounds, 1 block, 6-12 FG
Notable Minutes Watch
- Chris Paul- 23
- Deandre Ayton- 22
- Mikal Bridges- 27
- Russell Westbrook- 26
- Anthony Davis- 28
What’s next
Phoenix Suns vs. Portland Trail Blazers — Wednesday at 2 PM (MST)
It will be the first of another double-header with the Phoenix Mercury. This time, the Merc will be playing Game 2 of the WNBA Finals afterward.