Lakers earn first win in fourth quarter surge over Suns
The Los Angeles Lakers secured their first win of the season in a fourth-quarter surge over the Phoenix Suns, winning 100-95 on Thursday.
In a game where the Lakers struggled from behind the arc, shooting 17.2% (5-of-29) from three, they still found a way to win with a momentum-shifting fourth quarter. LeBron James played the entire 12 minutes and helped lead the team to outscore the Suns 28-11.
“It’s beautiful to watch, and we needed every ounce of it,” said head coach Darvin Ham on Lebron's full go in the fourth.
Jarred Vanderbilt missed his second game of the season as he remains day-to-day due to a left heel injury. The Lakers’ starting lineup remained the same for game two, with D’Angelo Russell, Austin Reaves, Taurean Prince, LeBron and Anthony Davis.
The Lakers quickly seized control with a 7-0 run at the beginning of the game, capitalizing on the absence of stars Devin Booker and Bradley Beal from the Suns’ lineup. The Lakers' early lead was short-lived as the Suns raised their intensity, with 35-year-old Kevin Durant leading the way.
Durant was pivotal in the Suns outscoring the Lakers 84–78 in the first three quarters. He finished with a game-high 39 points.
The Lakers came out with boosted energy to start the fourth quarter, going on a 10–0 run with the help of tenacious rebounding and defense energy from Christian Wood. Wood finished with 10 rebounds and seven points in 21 minutes.
Despite a minute restriction on his playing time in the 28–30 minute range, Ham said that he spoke with LeBron regarding his fatigue before the start of the fourth quarter, to which LeBron responded positively, saying he felt good and giving him the okay to play the whole final quarter.
The game remained closely contested late in the fourth quarter due to inconsistent shooting by both teams. LeBron shifted the momentum in the Lakers’ favor with back-to-back attacking layups that gave them a four-point lead with 41.0 seconds remaining.
LeBron finished with 21 points, nine assists, eight rebounds, two blocks and two steals in 35 minutes.
Davis sealed the Lakers’ first win with clutch free throws, going a perfect 7-for-7 from the foul line in the fourth quarter.
After going scoreless in the second half during their first loss of the season, Davis bounced back with a remarkable performance, scoring 19 points in the second half, including 13 points in the fourth quarter.
“We gotta keep putting it together one game at a time,” Davis said.
Davis led the Lakers with 30 points on 10-of-17 shooting (58.8%), adding 12 rebounds, three blocks, three steals and two assists in 39 minutes.
The Lakers will have a two-day rest in preparation for a back-to-back schedule on Sunday, Oct. 29, against the Sacramento Kings and Monday, Oct. 30, against the Orlando Magic.
