Lakers Outlast Suns in Last In-Season Tournament Quarterfinal Game
In a highly anticipated in-season tournament quarterfinal matchup, the Los Angeles Lakers faced off against the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday night. The game was promised to be a thrilling battle between two Western Conference powerhouses, and it did not disappoint. As basketball enthusiasts awaited tip-off, the stakes were high, and fans were expecting an intense contest filled with skillful plays, strategic moves, and maybe even a few surprises.
Both the Lakers and the Suns have star-studded lineups that have consistently delivered spectacular performances throughout the season. The Lakers, led by the iconic Lebron James and the dynamic Anthony Davis, were looking to regain their dominance in the league as they are currently the fourth seed in the Western Conference, but have been heating up and playing great basketball as of late. On the other side, the Suns, led by the sensational duo of Devin Booker and Kevin Durant, have been riding a wave of success, as they are recently coming off of a seven-game win streak. While the Lakers were able to come out with the win in this one, if the game took place once again it is a very real possibility the Suns would have come out with the victory instead. Let’s take a look at how the Lakers got this win.
While the Lakers did have a twelve-point lead at halftime 59-47, the Suns were able to steer a comeback in the second half and make the game a close one in the fourth quarter. Everyone was on the edge of their seat at the end of the game as Devin Booker drove in and made a layup to bring the Suns to within one point with twenty-nine seconds remaining in the game. However, unfortunately for Suns fans, Austin Reaves iced the game with a three as it went in the net with fifteen seconds remaining in the game. Even amid the loss, Booker and Durant were incredible scoring 21 and 31 points, respectively. Booker also contributed 11 rebounds. Grayson Allen also had a huge night scoring 21 points and knocking down four triples. On the Lakers side, Davis and Lebron led the way offensively once again. Davis had 27 points and 15 rebounds, while James had 31 points and 11 assists. Reaves also had a huge game off the bench, finishing with twenty points and hitting multiple very important shots.
The Lakers will look to get another in-season tournament win as they head to Las Vegas to take on Zion Williamson, Brandon Ingram, and the New Orleans Pelicans on Thursday. The Suns will head back home to take on the Sacramento Kings on Friday.
