PREVIEW: Suns Look to Get Revenge vs Lakers
PHOENIX -- The Phoenix Suns (2-1) are back home at the Footprint Center tonight and looking to get back at the Los Angeles Lakers (3-0) for the loss on Friday night.
Both squads are coming off of victories, as the Suns secured a resounding victory over the Dallas Mavericks, while the Lakers escaped the Sacramento Kings.
Both teams have come into the season looking to change the way they play on offense behind new head coaches in Mike Budenholzer and JJ Redick.
The revamping of the two franchises have yielded generally positive results over the infant stages of the season - as shown in the game between the teams on Friday night. Both teams possess improved depth, offensive systems that are better tailored to the star players, and injections of youth that make 82-game play more sustainable.
The former of the three could be the ultimate key to tonight's contest - as everyone on Phoenix's bench in the previous matchup finished with a positive +/- outside of Oso Ighodaro, while Jaxson Hayes and Gabe Vincent played instrumental roles in the Lakers' comeback efforts.
The Suns could also be without Bradley Beal, who has a status that is up-in-the-air coming into the night. That is certainly worth keeping an eye on.
As for a key matchup, the Suns' backcourt outplaying L.A. could be of paramount importance, as Anthony Davis has looked the part of an MVP candidate through three games and is unlikely to be shown much resistance from Phoenix on a consistent basis. If Devin Booker, Beal, and Grayson Allen can get going, it will be the great equalizer - as the emergence of Austin Reaves was vital to L.A. coming back along with the bench medley.
The Suns and Lakers are set to tip off shortly after 7 P.M. AZ time tonight.
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