Lakers Clinch Top-4 Seed With Dominant 101-73 Victory Over Short-Handed Suns
lakers-clinch-top-4-seed-with-dominant-victory-over-suns
The Los Angeles Lakers locked up home-court advantage in the opening round of the Western Conference playoffs on Friday night, rolling past the Phoenix Suns 101-73 at Crypto.com Arena.
LeBron James paced the Lakers with 28 points, six rebounds, 12 assists and four steals on 10-for-16 shooting in 32 minutes. His performance extended a run of strong play that began after injuries sidelined Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves.
Phoenix, resting several starters, managed only 25 points after halftime and just nine in the fourth quarter as Los Angeles produced its stingiest defensive showing of the season. The Suns’ struggles, combined with a Houston Rockets loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves, guaranteed the Lakers at least the No. 4 seed in the West for head coach JJ Redick’s club.
Luke Kennard added 19 points, three assists and three steals while filling in as a primary ball-handler. Rui Hachimura contributed 13 points and hit two of the Lakers’ eight three-pointers (8-for-20, 40%). Marcus Smart returned after missing nine games and supplied six points, five rebounds, seven assists, two steals and a block in 18 bench minutes, sparking several key hustle plays.
What’s Next
The Lakers conclude the regular season Sunday against the Utah Jazz. A Los Angeles win combined with a Denver Nuggets loss to the San Antonio Spurs would elevate the Lakers to the No. 3 seed.
Source: LakersNation.com
