PHOENIX — A Tough Loss for the Lakers

Don’t be misled by the delayed responses or Luka Doncic’s clutch shooting at the end. The Lakers’ surge in energy and hustle in the last six and a half minutes of Thursday’s game against the Suns wasn’t enough to save them.

If they had played with that same intention throughout, they likely wouldn’t find themselves in the predicament they are currently in.

Instead, they stumbled, allowing Royce O’Neal to hit a game-winning three-pointer with just 0.9 seconds remaining, while Austin Reaves couldn’t convert a wide-open corner three at the buzzer. The Lakers fell 113-110, marking their third consecutive loss and a disappointing exit from Mortgage Matchup Center.

After their loss to the Magic earlier in the week, this marked another late-game collapse for a team that usually performs well in clutch moments.

Doncic had an impressive night, scoring a game-high 41 points along with eight assists and eight rebounds. He contributed 14 points in the third quarter and followed up with nine in the fourth.

But realistically, the Lakers might have benefitted from his scoring even more, especially since they were facing a struggling Suns squad lacking their two star players, Devin Booker and Dillon Brooks.

Yet, they were slow to respond to shooters and allowed the Suns to make 44% of their shots (22-of-50). Plus, they didn’t show enough tenacity on the boards, giving Phoenix 15 offensive rebounds.

What It Means

The Lakers are now on a three-game losing streak for the first time since early January, having won only two of their last seven outings. They are barely holding onto sixth place in the Western Division with a season record of 34 wins and 24 losses, just one game ahead of the Suns.

Turning Point

If there were defining moments in this game, the Lakers definitely missed more than one. One particularly embarrassing moment came after contesting a missed three-pointer from Luke Kennard; Ryan Dunn, who was farthest from their basket, managed to outrun everyone on the court to score an easy dunk. This gave the Suns a 96-86 lead and prompted a Lakers timeout.

MVP: Grayson Allen

Allen shone for the Suns with 28 points, including 16 in the crucial third quarter when they took control. He and Colin Gillespie both sank six three-pointers.

Game Status: 4

This marks the fourth time the Lakers have shot over 50% from the floor and still lost the game.

To the Next

The Lakers are headed to San Francisco for a nationally televised game against the Warriors at Chase Center on Saturday.

As for the Warriors, the status of Draymond Green, Kristaps Porzingis, and De’Anthony Melton, who missed their recent road victory against the Grizzlies, remained uncertain as of Thursday night. The Lakers are hoping to have Rui Hachimura back after he sat out Thursday’s game due to illness.