Suns Run Lakers Off the Floor as L.A.’s Win Streak Ends at Seven
The Los Angeles Lakers came into Monday night riding high on a seven-game win streak, but that momentum came to a screeching halt at Crypto.com Arena. Hosting a feisty Phoenix Suns squad on the second night of a back-to-back, the Lakers looked a step slow-and the Suns made them pay, handing L.A. a 125-108 loss that drops them to 15-5 on the season.
Right out of the gate, Luka Doncic looked locked in. He opened the night with four quick points and dished a slick assist to Austin Reaves in the corner for three. LeBron James got on the board early too, carving into the paint for a layup to give the Lakers a 15-9 edge.
But Phoenix wasn’t backing down. Dillon Brooks, who never needs extra motivation when facing LeBron and the Lakers, came out aggressive with six early points.
Then came the heavyweight duel-Doncic and Devin Booker trading buckets like two prizefighters. Doncic exploded for 20 points in the opening quarter, while Booker countered with 11 of his own.
By the time the horn sounded, it was all square at 31.
In the second quarter, James and Reaves tried to steady the ship, combining for five quick points to start the frame. But every Laker push was met with a Suns answer. Phoenix strung together a 7-0 run to reclaim the lead and force a timeout from head coach JJ Redick.
Then came a turning point: Booker, after his strong first quarter, exited to the locker room with a groin injury and didn’t return. That could’ve been a break for the Lakers-but instead, it was Dillon Brooks who stepped up and took over.
Brooks kept the Suns offense humming, while the Lakers got sloppy with the basketball. A string of careless turnovers allowed Phoenix to build a cushion, and they took a 66-52 lead into halftime.
After the break, the Lakers needed a jolt. Instead, they looked gassed.
Phoenix, on the other hand, played like a team with something to prove. Brooks continued to hit tough shots, and the Suns’ energy on both ends of the floor overwhelmed a Laker squad that couldn’t find rhythm outside of Doncic.
Timeouts didn’t help. Adjustments didn’t stick. The Lakers had no answers as the Suns kept pouring it on, stretching the lead to 96-77 by the end of the third.
If there was going to be a run, it had to come early in the fourth. The Lakers opened with four quick points, but just as quickly gave them back with more unforced errors.
That’s when Collin Gillespie stepped into the spotlight, heating up from beyond the arc and pushing the lead to 24. That was the dagger.
From there, the only real drama was whether LeBron would keep his double-digit scoring streak alive. He did, adding a few more buckets before taking a seat for the night.
What’s Next
The Lakers now hit the road for a tough three-game stretch, starting with a back-to-back against the Toronto Raptors and Boston Celtics on Thursday and Friday. After a flat performance at home, this road trip will be a real test of resilience-and a chance to see how this group responds when things don’t go their way.