Austin Reaves Embracing Challenge of Facing Suns High-Powered Offense on Sunday

The Lakers will look to take the season series against their division rivals on Sunday.

The Los Angeles Lakers will look to start another win streak on Sunday after getting back on track on Friday against the San Antonio Spurs. 

However, starting that streak won't be easy as they'll travel to Phoenix to take on their division rival Suns. Although the Lakers have the edge on the Suns this season by winning three of their four games, the last matchup wasn't so pretty for the Purple and Gold. 

The Lakers were run off the court by Phoneix in their last matchup, so they will look for a different outcome on Sunday, as every game from now on is crucial for Los Angeles. The Lakers realize how important this game is, including their starting guard Austin Reaves. 

After their victory against the Spurs on Friday, Reaves set his sights on the Suns, saying he's embracing the challenge Phoniex will present. 

“It should be a great game. They’ve been playing really good basketball for obvious reasons,” Reaves said. “They have a super-talented team that, offensively, when they’re making shots, they’re probably second to none. So, should be a dogfight. That’s what we should go in thinking it’s gonna be. Go compete every possession and leave it all out on the line.”

-Austin Reaves, via LA Times

The Suns are ahead of the Lakers in scoring offense, ranked 12th, and field goal percentage offense ranked third. The Lakers sit one spot behind in both of these categories. 

However, where the Suns shine is their three-point offense. The Suns are ranked seventh in the league this year, shooting 37.7% from beyond the arc. Their leaders, Kevin Durant and Devin Booker can get hot at any moment, and when that happens, Phoenix is a problem for any team in the league. 

The Lakers will have their hands full on Sunday. However, if they play their brand of basketball, they should be in a great position to get the win in a must-win scenario.