Los Angeles, Calif. (News4usOnline) – After losing four straight games on the road, the Los Angeles Lakers came home and snapped their losing streak against the Phoenix Suns. Struggling with injuries to several key players, the Lakers found a way to win a much needed game.
Behind 33 points from Luka Doncic, the Lakers defeated the Suns, 107-96.
“Our guys, to come back with an early start and be the harder-playing team from the beginning, that to me says everything about our group,” Lakers head coach JJ Redick said. “On top of that, this was such a different game than anything we’ve played recently.”
With the return of some important rotational players the Lakers were in the driver seat this whole game.
The Suns, while struggling themselves this season, remain a threat as a division rival and a potential play-in tournament team. They also carry two of the better players in the league in Kevin Durant and Devin Booker who can take over games. The Lakers from the first quarter jumped out on the Suns and made them play from behind the rest of the game.
The Lakers went on a 23-2 run in the first quarter to take command of the contest with a 31-15 advantage.
“I didn’t even know they went on that run. It’s tough,” Booker said after the game. “We’ve had some terrible starts. It’s frustrating that we can do the right thing sometimes and then sometimes we don’t.”
Doncic obviously controlled the game however the return of starting center Jaxson Hayes played a vital role in the win. Hayes missed the entire four-game road trip with a knee injury and each game resulting in a loss.
Already being very thin at the center position on the current Lakers roster, his presence was missed a great deal. Coming back in the game versus the Suns, Hayes made an impact throughout.
The lob threat, energy, and shot blocking skills was key as he finished the game with 19 points and six rebounds.
“You can see the difference; he helps me a lot but he helps the whole team… we missed him for sure,” said Doncic.
Other Laker role players stepped up to solidify a win as the Suns were making a run. Dorian Finney-Smith scored eight of his 10 points in the fourth quarter.
The Suns, behind Durant, found a rhythm in the second half and sparked a little comeback. Holding off the comeback this was a big win for the Lakers and necessary to snap the losing streak. Phoenix is a team fighting to keep their playoff hopes alive so each team needed this win.
Snapping the four-game losing streak against a potential playoff team is a good win. Injuries and the losing streak have set the Lakers back in potential playoff standings.
There is little room for error as the Western Conference playoff positioning battle is starting to pick up. The Lakers look to gain back some momentum and avoid another multiple game losing streak.
Feature Image: Los Angeles Lakers forward Jaxson Hayes played above the rim against the Phoenix Suns. Hayes scored 19 points to go with his six rebounds to help the Lakers defeat the Suns and snap a four-game losing streak with a 107-96 win at Crypto.com Arena on March 16, 2025. Photo credit: Mark Hammond
Discover more from
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.