When the Los Angeles Lakers (7-2) come to town, it's more than just a basketball game. It is a rivalry rooted with disdain and two fan bases that have no love loss. Remember the Raja Bell/Kobe Bryant clothesline? Ahhh...I get goosebumps of excitement just watching that clip!
Why is there such hate? It can't because of Laker dominance; since 1990, of the 6 times the teams have met in the playoffs, the Suns have won 4 (from 1970-1989, the Lakers were 6-0). The all time series is at 142-107 in favor of LA, again, not pure dominance. The hate is geographic. My dad used to say that, "Phoenix was a wide spot in the road on the way to L.A. until Jerry Colangelo brought the Suns here." It's that mentality, the fact the Phoenix feels like a second tier city to Los Angeles, that creates a David vs. Goliath mentality.
This years Lakers are NBA League Pass favorites, as LeBron James has once again lured a superstar to play with him (because he can't do it alone). Anthony Davis has a #3 purple and piss yellow jersey in his closet and a role in Space Jam 2. And on Tuesday night the interior size of AD, Dwight Howard, and Javale McGee proved too much for the Phoenix Suns.
The game was a tightly contested battled throughout. Although the Suns were up 9 early, the Lakers closed the gap with the pesky play of Kyle Kuzma. The back and forth battle continued for the duration of the game, with the Lakers dominating the paint and the Suns firing away from downtown (16-38, 42.1%).
Monty Williams' adjustments were impressive, as the Laker defense was collapsing on interior penetration. His solution? Back screens and swing passes to wide open shooters. Monty is continuing to display an ability to pull the right levers, and with the team James Jones has provided, the team is never out of a game.
Ultimately the Lakers proved to be too much in the final minutes, as LeBron James nailed a clutch 3, followed shortly by 2 Kuzma daggers from behind arc. The game was much closer than the 123-115 final score. AD finished with 24 to lead all scorers, LeBron has 19 points and 11 assists, and the Suns are now 2-2 on the current home stand; 6-4 overall.
Solar Flare of the Game
Dario Saric - Dario had his best game as a Phoenix Sun, although he did have a costly turnover in the final two minutes. All fumbling aside, he was an impressive 4-6 or 3PT, 7-11 overall, and scored 18 with 7 boards. He is continuing to find his role in the offense and proving to be a versatile defender.
Solar Synopsis
This game was there for the taking. The goal was not to let the role players hurt you, and unfortunately they did. The Lakers simply kept passing the ball inside to Howard in the 2nd, and he continued to dunk at will. The 3rd quarter started with Javale McGee and Avery Bradley burning the Suns while LeBron and AD stood and watched, which allowed them to save their energy for the 4th.
There is still plenty to be excited about though. This was the #1 rated defense in the NBA and the Suns were in it the entire time. We stood toe to toe with two NBA Hall of Famers and competed our asses off. Saric, Baynes, and Cam Johnson hit confidence-building big shots. The Suns will grow from this experience. The countdown is on until we meet the #LakeShow again...New Year's Day in Los Angeles. We'll bring the purple, y'all can bring the piss.