Top 5 Takeaways from Lakers Loss to the Suns

The Los Angeles Lakers dropped their first game of the year on Monday night to their division rivals, the Phoenix Suns.

Oct 28, 2024; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick cheers on his team during the second half against the Phoenix Suns at Footprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

The Los Angeles Lakers suffered their first loss of the 2024-25 season in a hard-fought game against their Pacific Division rivals, the Phoenix Suns.

The Lakers dropped the matchup 109-105, missing key opportunities down the stretch and ultimately falling short in the second and fourth quarters — arguably the two most decisive stretches of the game.

While an undefeated season was never expected, a close loss to a team they’ll likely battle with for playoff seeding is still tough to swallow. Here are five key takeaways from the Lakers' performance against Phoenix:

1. Head coach JJ Redick takes accountability

This was Redick’s first loss as an NBA head coach, and he didn’t shy away from taking responsibility. After the game, Redick acknowledged that there were strategic decisions he could’ve made differently, taking the blame for his team’s defeat. 

“We said we want to be a process team," Redick said. I liked our process tonight. I liked the way we started the game. We talked about getting off to a great start, how they played on us Friday in L.A. and we did that. I liked our level of competition and compete on the defensive end. They put you in a lot of tough spots and they have elite individual shot-makers. I’ll have to go watch it but I felt like in some ways, we lost to Kevin Durant and Devin Booker’s ability to make tough 2s. I thought our execution down the stretch was phenomenal. If there’s one thing to nitpick, it’s probably me. I probably should have gone to the Fire a possession or two earlier against KD. But I liked that group that we had out there defensively. I trust those guys. Then the other thing I would say is we should never have a 14-point quarter. That’s on me as well. Part of that is me. I got to make sure we’re running good offense. I felt like it was a little random, got stalled out.We talked about it at halftime, for us to be a high level offense, we got to move bodies and move the ball. They got to screen and they just kind of took us out of what we were doing initially and we were great in the second half. We executed great in that second half. It was just that second quarter really hurt us.”

It’s clear that he’s setting a tone of accountability early in his coaching tenure, which could go a long way in building trust with this Lakers squad.

2. LeBron James’ 10-point streak lives on

LeBron James’ record-breaking streak of scoring 10+ points in each regular-season game since January 2007 was at risk late in the fourth quarter. However, a clutch three-pointer allowed him to keep the streak alive, showcasing the 39-year-old’s resilience and reliability, even in high-stakes moments.

3. Losing the second and fourth quarters proved costly

The Lakers struggled offensively in both the second and fourth quarters, which ultimately cost them the game. After a strong 34-point opening quarter, they managed only 14 in the second, which erased their early lead and sent them into halftime trailing. In the fourth, Phoenix outscored them 33-22, securing the win. These two quarters revealed areas where the Lakers need to be more consistent if they’re to contend in a competitive Western Conference.

4. Anthony Davis remains the Lakers’ focal point.

Davis has established himself as the Lakers' most impactful player, a status reinforced in this game. He led the team with 29 points on 12-for-24 shooting, adding 15 rebounds, three assists, a steal, and three blocks. While James continues to play a critical role, it’s clear that Davis is the primary focus in Redick’s system, and the Lakers’ success will hinge largely on his performances night after night.

5. The Lakers can hang with the best.

Despite the loss, the Lakers stayed competitive against one of the Western Conference’s top teams. LeBron wasn’t at his sharpest, and they still remained in the thick of it until the final minutes. With Redick’s coaching approach taking shape, the Lakers showed signs that they could be a legitimate threat in the West this season.

The Lakers will have an opportunity to bounce back on Wednesday as they travel to Cleveland to face LeBron’s former team, the Cavaliers.

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