Suns Blow 22-Point Lead in Loss to Lakers

The Phoenix Suns couldn't hold on to their advantage.

Oct 25, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Phoenix Suns guard Bradley Beal (3) runs against the Los Angeles Lakers during the first half at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Hui-Imagn Images / Jonathan Hui-Imagn Images

The Phoenix Suns were firing on all cylinders early on at Crypto.com Arena - that didn't last long.

The Suns fell to 1-1 on the season after a 123-116 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday night after holding a 22-point lead in the first half.

Without Grayson Allen (personal) and Josh Okogie (hamstring), the Suns were forced to alter their rotations. Los Angeles saw majority of their lineup available.

Kevin Durant paved the way for Phoenix with 30 points, four rebounds and five assists to pair with one block. Devin Booker was second in scoring with 21 points and four assists.

For the Lakers, Anthony Davis' 35 points and seven rebounds was a major factor. Austin Reaves poured in 26 points of his own while LeBron James also added 19 points and eight assists.

Both teams shot over 50% from the field, though the Lakers' 51.9% conversion rate from deep was extremely notable - so too was Phoenix's 17 turnovers.

QUICK RECAP

The first quarter featured - of all things - the rare Tyus Jones turnover.

Other than that, it was very smooth sailing for a Suns team that connected consistently on the three ball, hitting their final six attempts from deep with a whopping 14 assists to emerge ahead 38-23 heading into the second quarter. Devin Booker started out with a hot ten points in the first 12 minutes of action.

Phoenix's lead reached up to 20 points in the early stages of the second quarter, though with basketball being a game of runs, the Lakers eventually trimmed their deficit. Los Angeles woke up and eventually cut Phoenix's lead to nine entering the locker room, 61-52.

The Suns finished the first half with 13 turnovers, though they out-rebounded Los Angeles 21-12. Davis led all scorers with 15 points in the first two quarters.

The Lakers took their first lead at 68-67 and despite battling with the Suns for the entire 12 minutes of the third, Los Angeles paced Phoenix 87-85. According to The Athletic's Jovan Buha, the Lakers had outscored Phoenix 52-30 since 5:11 left in the first half through the third quarter.

Before the Suns knew it, Los Angeles increased their lead to double digits in the early stages of the fourth. Phoenix waned the Lakers' lead to just six points halfway through and continued to battle through the final minutes - before a Rui Hachimura three-pointer with 90 seconds left put the icing on the cake and gave the Suns their first loss of the season.

WHAT'S NEXT

The Suns are back in Phoenix tomorrow to play their home opener against the Dallas Mavericks.

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