Lakers News: Despite Supposed Advantage At This Position, LA Falls Prey To Phoenix

It was not a great day for the Lakers on the boards.

It has not been a pretty start for the Los Angeles Lakers post All-Star break. 

The Purple and Gold dropped their second of three games since returning to the court, and their latest contest was not a pretty one. The Lakers fell, and they fell hard against the Phoenix Suns.

The Lakers fell into an early hole and had a tough time climbing back into the game. One aspect that hindered their comeback was the rebounding category. Los Angeles was at a significant advantage in that category, losing the battle 51-34. 

The Sunds dominated the boards all game long thanks to their starting center, Jusuf Nurkić. Nurkić was a menace on the boards, collecting almost half of the Sunds rebounds. He finished with 18 points and 22 rebounds.

He changed the dynamic of the game, and Lakers superstar Anthony Davis couldn't help but credit Nurkić for his efforts. 

“He’s a big body. That’s his role on the team: go out and rebound, get them extra possessions. They did a good job with it,” Anthony Davis said.

—Anthony Davis, via Khobi Price of The OC Register

Nurkić was a man amongst boys against the Lakers. Suns forward Royce O'Neale was the second-leading rebounder on the team with nine rebounds. 

Davis' foul trouble played a factor in this disparity. He recorded two real fouls in the contest that kept him from being aggressive, at least in the first half of the matchup. This is the last thing the Lakers needed, and they'll look to avoid another contest like this. 

The Lakers may have taken the season series against the Suns, but they look up at them in the Western Conference standings.