The Lakers didn’t just lose to the Suns - they got completely outplayed. The 125-108 final score doesn’t even tell the full story. This one got away from them late in the second quarter, and by the time they tried to fight back, the game was already out of reach.
At the center of it all was Luka Dončić, who posted 38 points but had one of the more frustrating high-scoring outings you’ll see. Stat sheets don’t always tell the truth, and this was a prime example. Luka’s offensive output was overshadowed by nearly double-digit turnovers, a lack of defensive presence, and an overall performance that failed to ignite any kind of second-half push.
To his credit, Luka didn’t shy away from the blame postgame.
“That was my fault,” Dončić said. “No way I can have 9 turnovers in the game. In that second quarter, instead of just giving me the shots, instead of shooting the ball, I felt like I was trying to get involved, but there’s no way I should have nine turnovers.”
That nine-turnover mark was a season-high for Dončić - and a costly one. Turnovers have been a recurring issue, with Luka already leading the team at 4.3 per game, including an eight-turnover night against the Jazz earlier this season.
Still, hearing him own up to it matters. When your star takes accountability, it sets the tone for the rest of the locker room.
But this wasn’t just a case of Luka being off. The Suns came in with a plan, and they executed it to near perfection.
They didn’t stop Dončić - few teams can - but they did enough to frustrate him. They threw a different defensive look at him, one that dared him to score rather than create.
That tweak disrupted the rhythm of the Lakers’ offense and clearly threw Luka off his game.
“I feel like definitely it was a different defense than other teams and kind of trying to let me go score instead of creating for others,” Dončić said. “So it was kind of confusing, but, like I said, it just can’t happen.”
That’s the chess match. The Suns bet that isolating Dončić as a scorer - not a playmaker - would limit the Lakers’ overall effectiveness.
And it worked. The ball stuck too often, and the offense stalled.
Rui Hachimura, for instance, got just one shot attempt all game. Meanwhile, Luka hoisted 26 - just two shy of his season-high.
That kind of imbalance isn’t sustainable, and it’s not how this Lakers team is built to win. They thrive when Luka is orchestrating, not just attacking.
When he finds that blend of scoring and facilitating, the Lakers look like a real threat. When he leans too far in one direction, like he did against Phoenix, the offense can get stagnant fast.
The good news? It’s one game.
A rough one, no doubt, but still just a single night in a long season. The Lakers have a road trip coming up - a chance to reset, regroup, and show that this performance was the exception, not the rule.
Luka knows it. The team knows it.
Now it’s about responding. Because if the Lakers are going to be the team they believe they can be, it starts with their leader finding that balance - and keeping the turnovers in check.