Recap: Suns stop Lakers at Staples despite Devin Booker’s expulsion, 114-104

There was one decisive word to describe the atmosphere of this game: energy.

Energy, energy, energy – and both teams have been diligent in ensuring that a losing situation is not the result of lack of effort.

Diving for loose balls, tricky fouls, and trivial chatter were all still relevant, and each unit put together a display that would embody a start to the Western Conference playoff game.

And they could very well face each other in a postseason series in the months to come.

The stars were lined up, although some (notably Anthony Davis) were sidelined, tensions were high and skills were in prime time as two titans clashed in one of the most important clashes of this season for both.

Lose, and the Lakers would drop their second-seeded conference standings.

And nothing sweeter for Phoenix than to secure a victory against the reigning champions.

Suns win, 114-104

1st trimester

The magnitude of each team’s high-volume scoring power was quickly wielded during the whistleblower.

Jae Crowder had a 3-ball to open the scoring for the affair, and Mikal Bridges added a trey to come back 6-0 early.

The Lakeshow resumed storming as Markieff Morris knocked down a receding jay, and Lebron began to unravel his long list of deadly offensive moves to place his stake in the scoring column.

Chippy’s gameplay and chirping started to ensue soon after – a sentiment that fully confirmed the importance both units had placed on this game as the All-Star break approached.

Monty Williams has shown a clear desire to dominate at the bottom, and the opportunities for Deandre Ayton have skyrocketed with Marc Gasol sidelined. Ayton ate heartily as Chris Paul gave him low post entry passes, and his early dominance became a glaring weak spot for Frank Vogel and his defense.

Phoenix took a 24-15 advantage after Cam Johnson sprayed a ball deep, holding on firmly to a decent cushion as they entered the 29-21 breakout.

2nd quarter

Clearly unhappy with the difficult start for his team, Lebron James decided to take matters into his own hands.

The King unleashed a torrent of powerful attacks and rim cuts as he exercised his reign over the inner block, pushing his squad back into contention.

Talen Horton-Tucker joined Lebron in his scoring governance and capitalized on some isolation chances to keep the Lakers there.

They also showed a feverish increase in defensive intensity, and a few timely interceptions led to some easy transition openings that allowed Lebron to show off the timeless elasticity of his 36-year-old legs. Their courage to do so sparked a 16-5 run that gave them a 37-36 advantage.

CP3 showcased their passing magic over many half-court possessions as they struggled to preserve the Suns’ early push, and their composure restored a comfortable margin as the quarter ended.

Phoenix distributed 12 assists from 13 baskets made in an epic display of efficiency and started their own 8-2 run, assisted by Dario Saric and Cam Johnson, giving them a nearly 10-point advantage.

A ringtone from Mikal Bridges 3 put Pheonix 60-53 at halftime. They started half with an open corner 3 and finished it like a chameleon.

“Done as they started,” in the words of commentator Jim Jackson.

Devin Booker had 15 points at the break, while Bridges finished the first half with 11. Phoenix shot 10/17 from across the arc.

Lebron scored 15 in the top two.

3rd trimester

The Suns returned straight to Ayton’s post arsenal early in the second period.

And when he wasn’t receiving one-on-one balling opportunities, he was the giddy recipient of Devin Booker’s throwing shots.

Phoenix continued to burn offensively as the Book-Ayton duo kicked off production.

Book put the Suns to nine after converting a 3-point play on a nifty layup maneuver, which wrapped up with four points after James was hit by a tech.

Their momentum was quickly siphoned from their grip however, when a technique that followed on Booker resulted in him being ejected from the match. He received the infraction after a not-so-friendly reaction to a call in which he added some extra mustard on a pass to the referee.

The pitch took a toll on Phoenix, who quickly gave up their margin as LA took off from their own 7-0 run.

But Chris Paul has been battle tested – and it’s here that he showed how valuable his veteran presence is to this unit.

He was CCC – cool, calm and collected in the heat of the moment, and kept the Lakers at bay as he lit several scoring games to bolster his team’s lead. Their pace of play has picked up, but Paul is an architect of efficiency, and his work in creating avenues for points is unmatched.

Phoenix entered the fourth with a slim 86-83 advantage.

Ayton posted 17 to three.

4th quarter

Phoenix is ​​a unit that refuses to be overworked. Their top scorer was gone. They had received litanies of offenses for their recklessness. And yet, they would not be refused.

The Lakers may have had more talent at their disposal throughout the fourth, but the Suns unloaded a string of plays that ultimately shut the door on LA’s furious comeback attempt.

Chris Paul knocked down a 28-footer to take a 93-85 lead, before Abdel Nader and Mikal Bridges made back-to-back jumps.

Lebron and his company kept their fire blazing, reducing the Suns’ edge to just five before Bridges pulled off a magnificent feat of terrain knowledge and foot dexterity: saving a finicky-headed aerial balloon in the direction of Jae Crowder. , who was waiting under the rim for an easy devil.

Several contributions from Saric kept the Suns’ lead in double digits, and while Lebron sprayed home a few three deadeye balls, his efforts were wasted by the suffocating Phoenix defense.

Mikal Bridges’ thunderclap was an emphatic death blow for any suspicion in Laker’s life, and Phoenix was able to escape Stales Center with a 114-104 victory.

Lebron would finish with 38 points on 16-24 off the floor in the loss.

The Suns meanwhile, move to second place in the West.

Game player

Mikal Bridges: 19 PTS, 6-10 FG, 3-6 3PT, 6 REB, 5 AST