NBA LIVE! Los Angeles Lakers vs Phoenix Suns LIVE | NBA PRESEASON | Oct. 3, 2025 | 2K26
In the 2K Sports, we have the NBA coming up. Great to have you with us. This is Kevin Harland. I’ll be joined by Greg Anthony, Tim Leggler, and we’ll be hearing from our reporter Ally Leforce in the sidelines as well. And now the Lakers starting group. Hachimura is the four with Aiden playing the five. Reeves in its shooting guard. James is the small forward. And it’s Donic in at the point. And for the Suns, we’ve got Booker. Royce O’Neal is out there with Brooks. Then there’s Jaylen Green. And it’s Williams at the five spot. And when you look at these two teams tonight, GA both have a number of veterans on their roster. Well, we hear all the time about how valuable having experienced players can be. And clearly both of these teams have bought in to that philosophy. Outside Green. O’Neal a screen on LeBron. Back to O’Neal and the duck by O’Neal. Yeah, he gives up a few inches to most of his matchups, but his ability to rise above always gives him a chance. Now here is Himmer. Reeves finds James, hits the three-point bomb, showing some range. LeBron more than capable of hurting you from deep. Here’s Booker. Pass to Green outside. Williams. Now here’s Booker. Nice D from Donsic. [Applause] LeBron against Brooks. Nice ball movement here by the Lakers. Green against Donic. Shot clock at six. [Applause] And the double updic and the shot goes in. And able to produce under any circumstances. Shot clock has no effect on Luca. And now let’s send it over to our courtside reporter Ally Leforce. I had a chance to talk with the head coach for the Suns. I asked him about LeBron James and what his team’s defensive game plan was against him. And he said to me, “Hope and pray that he misses a majority of his shots. With LeBron, there’s only so much you can do against him. But we’re going to do our best. We’ll see what happens here tonight. Back to you and Ally. Thanks so much. Now Brooks after Luca Donic’s three-pointer that didn’t go and the call on the shot that sends him to the line. That’s on LeBron James. [Applause] And now we’re being joined by our 2K insider Shams Cherano who’s calling in with a good story. Shams, what do you have? Well guys, nobody is quite sure just how the partnership of Devin Booker and Jaylen Green will play out in the desert. They were just one of three back courts to average 20 points per game each last season. But with so many overlapping qualities, it’s not the most obvious fit. But many in the league feel that Green could mold himself actually after Booker. And that gives the Suns another potential offensive focal point. Everyone around the league is curious to see how they’ll make this work, guys. A dangerous duo for sure. Thank you very much for the report there, Shams. Most appreciated. [Applause] [Applause] And Williams drops them both. Now about two minutes gone here in the first quarter. Outside over Booker Eightton kicks to Himura. Off target from outside. The Suns have gone one of three from the field to start this one so far. Booker dishes to O’Neal. Williams. A screen on Reed. Phoenix no good that time either. And so Donic will bring it up for Los Angeles on the wing. Reed guarded by Green. And again the Lakers no good. Phoenix has gone 0 of two from D. O’Neal sets the screen for Green. And that won’t go. Missing the go-ahead bucket. The Lakers leading. on the wing. Reeds off target with his three. And he didn’t punish them for the weak coverage there, but they can’t count on him to continue missing. Brooks the pass to Booker. Laid in with a nice touch off the glass. Skillful make inside by Booker able to find his spot for the finish. Pass to Hatchimo. And a wide open look for James. And he’s good on the three ball. James has got a couple of threes now in the first for the Lakers. Booker against Donic. Williams. A screen on Donic. The drive by Booker. Williams. And they pick up two. And this is the attack mindset you want to see coming into the game. You knew they were going to be aggressive and now you see them executing that. And here’s Reeves outside. Brooks grabs the board. Suns have gone 307 from the field since we’ve gotten underway. Green against Reeves. Green in the post. Williams dishes to Booker. They kick it out to Green. [Applause] Back to Booker and another shot and it’s good on the layin. Booker’s got his second basket of the game and you know defenses try to get physical with Booker and now he’s used to that. He he just plays through the contact. The three for Donic buries it from three-point range. Several lead changes going on here in the early portion of this game. Yeah, it reminds me of that cameo song back and forth. Now here’s Booker on the wing. Brooks good and a nice assist from Booker and we’ll see if they can finally hold on to a lead. It’s been back and forth all night. Yeah, it’s been a close matchup which we expected and this could very well come down to some big shots at the end. And here is Donic after Dylan Brooks was able to get the triple. It’s stolen by Green. [Applause] Williams heads a screen for Green and a slam by Williams. Heads up play by Green using the pick and roll to create space for his team. So it’s the Lakers now. Four-point game outside. Eighton sets the pick for Donic. Top of the key jumper. No good. The defense there got away with a major lapse. Booker against Donic. Booker right side driving the lane and it’s out of bounds. Last touch by Booker. [Applause] Lakers trail by four. LeBron outside to the inside and foul on the shot. He’ll shoot two at the free throw line. And when Pachimura is looking to score, it sometimes forces the D to get aggressive. Love the energy. And guys, let’s get your take on the scoring breakdown for Phoenix. And guys, they’ve done a great job feeding their bigs inside. They are just punishing the opposition in the paint. Well, from the start, they’ve been making quality passes offensively and that is reflected in their assist number. The first one falls. [Applause] Mura hits them both. Phoenix is gone. One of three from beyond the arc so far in the game. Brooks, the pass to Book. [Applause] Shot clock at five. Rebounded by DeAndre Eaton. Eightton’s got his sixth rebound on the night. Jim, DeAndre Eaton was coveted as the number one overall pick back in 2018. Well, he moves so well for a sevenfooter and he’s got great touch out to the mid-range. Kevin, his offensive game is special. Booker against Donic. O’Neal screen on Donic. Booker left side. Balls knocked loose. H with the steel. Reeves with it. Now Green defending. Reeves drives in. [Applause] Pass to LeBron. Donic right side and trying for the go-ahead basket. It doesn’t go in. And here’s Brooks. He’ll bring it up for the Suns. And here is O’Neal. Count that one. O’Neal’s got his second bucket. They found some room there along the baseline. Some space at the rim. Goes right up and puts it in without resistance. The Lakers trail. Pass to Hatchima. Stolen by O’Neal and it’s Brooks in the corner. Good. Nice assist from Booker. Booker’s got three assists now in this one. He doesn’t take a lot of time to make up his mind. Brooks always thinking ahead and he’s in position before the pass is made. Now here’s a no one near Donic as he lets it fly tried to answer back but that three is off the mark. LeBron against Green. [Applause] Williams a screen on LeBron. Six to shoot. Brooks outside. O’Neal passes to Williams. Misses the three. Lakers trail by five. Donic gets to Aton. O’Neal against LeBron. [Applause] Rebound by the Suns. Williams has got his seventh rebound of the game with that last one and stolen by James. The three for Donic. Rebound by the Suns. It’s almost like he’s trying to make things hard on himself, you know? He’s just got to slow the game down, try to get some easy ones. Green deciding where to go with it. Five to shoot. Out to Brooks. Here’s O’Neal with the three. Does not find the mark. He’s made two and missed one. Now Lakers trail by five. James in the high post. Freeze with a screen on O’Neal to end the cold streak. The eight-footer pulled the shot a little left, but the bounce goes his way. And that’s the kind of lead pass we’ve come to expect from him. And timeout called by Jordan A. He’s going to take a few moments here to check in with his team and regroup. [Applause] And the Suns with Completely new group on the floor. Big group substitution here for the Lakers. Maxi Clea. He’s checked in for DeAndre Aton. Vanderbilt comes in for Ruie Himura. Jake Laabia has checked in for James. And Marcus Smart has subbed in for Austin Reeds. Suns lead by three. [Applause] A minute 42 left to play in the first. They set the pick to the paint. Four on the clock. Here’s Gillespie nailed from three-point land. And they don’t want to get in a habit of giving him open looks from three. First quarter still, but not who you want to leave over. Now here’s Donic. Five points in the game. Trying to come right back with a three of his own. It’s no good. Donic against Allen. Pass to Igodaro. Now Allen beyond the arc and the Suns another three. Wow, what a pass there. He made that a very easy basket with that setup. Here’s Smart. Now Vanderbilt. No good on the triple. Here’s Gillespie guarded by Smart. There’s the pick to the middle. Here’s Eagle. Lost contact on the shot. And now a three-point play chance as he’ll head to the line. Shooting one. When you find yourself up double digits in the first quarter, you know you’re doing something right. They’re firing on all cylinders, executing the game plan coming in. The Suns shooting their third free throw shot of the game. [Applause] And that one misses. Lakers trail by 11. Guys are looking for a spark here. Yeah, a cold stretch offensively for sure. Yeah, mistakes like that have been the story of the game. They lack cohesion offensively. [Applause] Phoenix has gone four of eight on their three-point attempts. Doing a lot of work from way outside here in the first quarter. High post Allen and he banks in the layup. Allen’s got five points so far. Their play on both ends has been superb. We We’ll see if they can maintain the momentum. Well, the score reflects it. They’ve just been the better team all the way around. So, as we end the first quarter, already a double-digit ball game. Suns ahead. They lead by 13. And we’ll be back shortly for the start of the second quarter. [Applause] And glad to have you with us, folks. Second quarter of basketball. This game has not exactly been neck and neck, but plenty of time left in this one. And guys, the Suns enjoying a nice lead here. Hey, why take jump shots when you can get your points at the rim. Had a feeling this was going to be their strategy coming in. They’ve got a major size advantage to be able to execute this. They got done. Allen is out there with Nick Richards and it’s Gillespie in at the point who’s out there for Phoenix. Pass to Richards. Allen outside. Phoenix needs to get off a shot and it’s Gillespie missing. Well, that’s a tough matchup for the offense there. It’s a low probability on that shot. [Applause] Reeves outside. [Applause] Pass to Larabia. The Lakers need to get a shot off here. The three-pointer off the mark and close to making the defense pay for the lack coverage that time. Here’s Igodaro. [Applause] Good ball movement here by the Suns. And that one’s good. Richard. Richard’s got the opening field goal of the second quarter for Phoenix. Big miscommunication on defense. He recognizes it and quickly takes advantage. Well, the way this game has gone, I’m actually not surprised it was that easy for him. That’s a breakdown defensively. He is far too good of a shooter to leave that wide open. And let’s go to the sideline. Here’s Allen. Thanks a lot, guys. The Lakers going out and acquiring superstar talent. and Luca Donuch. LeBron James said, “Everything I do on the floor, Donic has the ability to do it or even do it better. That’s how great he is. Even at his young age, he’s such a unique special player. A generational talent, Kevin.” They’re clearly happy to have him. Ally, as always, we appreciate your reporting. Reeves outside. It’s stolen by Allen. It’s threeon three on the fast break. Brooks outside and it’s Phoenix scoring again. That’s the right pass to make. Beautiful job outside. Smart. The rebound by Richard. Well, the defense did just enough to force that miss because he is a good finisher. No good from Booker. Lakers trail by 14. [Applause] Pass to Smart. Back to Reeves. Fires from deep. Los Angeles with another miss. The Suns have gone two or four shooting the ball here in the second. Allen against Reeves. O’Neal outside. Allen with the screen for O’Neal. Booker outside. Krills the three-pointer. Booker’s got seven. Tim, I can hear it in my head right now. You called Steph Curry mustsee TV. Does anyone from this next generation maybe approach that description for you? Well, Kevin, certainly Victor Webbyama would be at the top of that list. You’re talking about a one-off. When you combine that size with that particular skill set and then Anthony Edwards would be another guy because of the explosiveness and excitement that he brings every single night. It’ll be exciting to see this next generation and see if they do impact it like the ones before. And here are the Suns now following the bucket by the Lakers. [Applause] Brooks up on top. He’s defended by Lorravia. Knocked away and that’s out of bounds. Phoenix will retain possession. Mark Williams is checked in for Nick Richards and then for Los Angeles. Gette comes in for Jake Larabio and Luca Donuch subbed in for Marcus Smart. [Applause] Just five to shoot. Shoots from the baseline. Offensive rebound. Williams gets the bucket. And guys, they continue to put a lot of pressure on the interior defenders with their work down low. [Applause] And Reeds has got the ball here for the Los Angeles Lakers. Trailing by 17 inside, here’s Vanderbilt. And the dunk by Vanderbilt and didn’t do anything fancy there, but didn’t need to. Nope. He his only concern right now is getting the points on the board. And I I don’t mean style points. Now here’s Brooks. He’s got eight. Shoots over Kette. Brooks misses. Here’s Donic. Clea. The pass to Reeves. [Applause] Plays it up and banks it in. Reeves has got his second basket. And those are the kind of nice inside looks they’ve gotten here in the first half. Phoenix leading by 13 and timeout called by Jordan. He’s ready to talk things through with them. [Applause] Heat. [Applause] Heat. [Applause] Heat. Heat. [Applause] Andre Aton’s checked in for Los Angeles. LeBron comes in for Austin Reed. [Applause] Booker outside 11 ft away and he nails the jumper. Booker’s got five points now in the quarter. And that’s that in between distance for some guys. Booker showing how comfortable he is from the mid-range on the wing. Donic defended by Booker. Two on the clock. Pulls up on the wing and he tries off the glass but it’s no good and it’s Brooks in the corner. A basket good off the assist from Allen. Brooks has got 11 points. Oh, spacing the floor. Brooks is comfortable shooting it from deep. Lakers trail by 18 go. Ranj outside. Back to LeBron. Pass to Eightton. Six on the shot clock. Here’s connect and he can’t answer back. The three-pointer offline. Suns leading by 18. And looks. Here we go. Now here’s Brooker guarded by Donic. Brooker. The pass to Williams. [Applause] Brooks outside over Donic. Brooks misses. You’re not going to see that very often. Plenty of space, but he just, let’s face it, he whiffs on that one. LeBron is doubled. Vanderbilt gets a wideopen look. Good on the triple. Seven points in the game. And James has always loved sharing the rock as well as making his teammates better. Back to Booker. Honic grabs the miss. Lakers trail by 15. When LeBron’s playing days are over and GA, who knows when that’ll be. What will you remember most about his play? You know, I don’t think there’s ever been a player who came into the league with such lofty expectations and not only met those expectations, but fair to say he’s exceeded. Suns lead by 15. Hands to Brooks. Stay there. [Applause] Down low. Stolen by Connect. And here is Vanderbilt. He’s guarded by Williams. The three for Donic. And the Lakers hit again from deep. And the defense has to be aggressive with Luca from range. Give him any space and he is looking to pull. Brooks outside. Good. A nice assist from Booker. Brooks has got 14. Nice answer back there. Love to see the competitiveness. And when you give up a three, there’s always this instinct to try and get it back immediately. Watch out. Vanderbilt misses. All the time in the world to get that one off. And it’s Brooks in the corner. Hooker finds Allen. Nice ball movement by Phoenix. Allen. A screen on James. Here’s Brooks. Allen outside. Launches from deep. Rebounded by the Lakers. And that was a little bit of a range check for him. Yeah. I mean, he’s a very good shooter, but from that distance, his percentages go down. To the middle. O’Neal with the steal. Allen inside working on James. Back to Allen. Pass to Williams. Out to Brooks from downtown. The Lakers with the rebound. Eightton’s got nine rebounds now tonight. In the corner, it’s James. No. Now here’s Vanderbilt. [Applause] Back to James. Lock at six. Stolen by Brooks. 153 left in the first half. Good on the bucket. He’s got 16. And definitely a streak shooter. When Brooks is hot, he can carry the offense. And so JJ Reick will call a timeout. Looking for a breather and maybe adjusting a thing or two. [Applause] Heat. Heat. [Applause] [Applause] Hey, hey, hey. [Applause] And Phoenix making a change here. Green’s checked in. Aimura. He’s checked in for Los Angeles. Austin Reeves comes in for Dalton Connect. [Applause] 141 left to play here in the second quarter. Stolen by Brooks. Booker in the corner. O’Neal sets the screen for Booker. off the mark there with the three-point shot. Lakers trail by 17. LeBron passes to Reeves. Back to LeBron. Reeves with a screen on Brooks on the wing. Reeves. Good. And the assist goes to LeBron. LeBron’s got three assists now in this one. Well, the defense is going to try to shut down certain things, but it’s impossible to deny everything. That’s a skilled play right there. Now, here’s Booker. He’s got nine. Rebounded by DeAndre Eaton. Eightton’s got the glass covered here tonight. 11 boards for him. Eighton sets the pick for LeBron. And a miss there on the triple. Well, you can’t make them all, but I doubt the defense wants to give him that kind of look again. Pass to Williams. Hey yo, right here on the wing. Booker. Shot clock at six again. The miss by Booker. [Applause] James against Green. Out to Donic. Oh, Donic with a confident three ball. What a beautiful look attacking the defense and then kicking it outside. It’s been all about Dylan Brooks for Phoenix. He’s been a major threat from three-point range. Got two of them to fall in that quarter. Don’t go anywhere. We’ll be right back. [Applause] Heat. Heat. [Applause] And there wasn’t too much drama in the first half, but maybe things will tighten up here in the second. You got to like Dylan Brooks and what he’s done in this game. Well, through the first two, he has been nothing short of a marksman from deep. And this offense continues to find him in his sweet spots from deep. Lakers trail by 11. And on the floor for JJ Reick as we get into the second half. Reeves and it shooting guard. James is the small forward. Aimura is the four with eight playing in the five and it’s Donic in at the one spot. Six to shoot. No one near Reeves as he lets it go. His three-pointer is off the mark on the drive. Booker, Jim, one of the most dangerous scorers in the NBA. Devin Booker. Well, he is smooth, Kevin. He makes it look easy, but developing that kind of offensive skill set is anything but. Looking around the NBA, Devin Booker, GA is as good as any two guard out there. Obviously, we know how Devin scores it, but what I love, he also can run your offense and he gives good effort defensively. First free throw is good. Now, Greg, you’ve had a long NBA career, so I’m curious, what’s one of the biggest changes you’ve noticed since you’ve retired? Well, you know, one that doesn’t get talked about enough, length. You know, players these days are just longer, especially in the back court and that wing position. It feels like every team has a guy 69 or taller that is a pure perimeter player. That one is no good. An elite offensive threat. Booker continues to try and find ways to improve his game. And running with a full head of steam, but completely under control. In this league, you run whenever you can. It’s so much easier to score in transition. Now, here’s Booker. Williams has a screen for Booker. Fires away from outside. They get it again. And Williams with the stuff. That gives him a double double in this one. 10 points and 12 rebounds. Scraping and clawing, doing everything he can to grow that lead. Emphatic on the put back stuff, leaving some skin on the floor. Those are pure hustle points. Here’s Aton. And here’s Donic from the arc. Brooks grabs the board. Not quite enough defense that time around. Just lucky he was off. Pass to Booker. Outside Williams. Here’s Green. He’s defended by Reed. Green passes to Williams and they call the foul. So a chance at the line for one more coming up. Got the ball right inside. Such a welltimed pass. [Applause] He’s gone two for two at the line so far. And a year ago, he was an 80% shooter at the line. So that’s more than acceptable. [Applause] [Music] Lakers trail by 15. Donic feeling it out. Williams against Aton. James outside. No good with the triple for Phoenix. They’ve gone two of three from the field to start the second half. Booker against Donic. Williams a screen on Donic and play stops whistling what looks to be an illegal screen. That’s going to draw a whistle every time down the floor. Not even close to being illegal screen. Well, my feeling is you just want to make sure it’s called consistently both ways. They’ve been struggling here on offense. Yeah, bit of a dry spell for sure. Reeves with the screen for Donic. The three. Rebound by Williams. Williams is O’Neal on the wing. Booker outside. Out to Brooks. The three. It’s hauled in by Los Angeles. And on an open look like that, he’s very gifted at making the weak coverage pay. LeBron passes to Donic. Five on the clock. Donic going to work. Once Donic gets inside with the ball, he’s halfway there. Then he just uses his strength to finish the job. And timeout called by Jordan A. Coach is going to take a few minutes to regroup and go over the strategy. [Applause] Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. [Applause] LeBron against Brooks. Booker looking around. Six on the shot clock. Booker taking the hit. And haven’t we seen that a few times today, guys? I mean, their defense has got to have a little bit more toughness about it. Here’s Reeds and the shot is long. And here’s Green. He’ll bring it up for the Phoenix Suns. Just four points. That’s all they’ve given up here in the second half. Booker with it. He’s picked up by LeBron. Back to Brooks. And the dunk by Brooks. And you like to see this from Brooks, right? No need to fall in love with the jump shot. Give the defense different looks. James with it. He’s got six on the wing. Donic. It’s Donic battling down low. And no matter what they’ve tried, the D just has not been able to deny them the ball inside. Here’s Booker. [Applause] Brooks with a screen on Donic. Booker against Donic. Now here’s Booker. D right on him. It’s held in by Los Angeles. Eighton’s got 14 rebounds tonight. Going after Aimura with a screen on Brooks over Brooks and it’s LeBron missing. Well, he wants to shoot his way out of this cold spell, but the struggles continue and he doesn’t have to do it alone. He’s got four teammates on the floor. And now, let’s swing it over to Ally Leor on the sideline. Thanks a lot. Well, LeBron is keeping it going. He said, “I appreciate these young guys coming up in the ranks and doing great things. I hope to have inspired them to carry it on when I decide that I’m done and keep this beautiful game going. Not just the league, but the purity of the game. That is what’s most important, guys. He’s left an imprint, no doubt. Thanks a lot, Ally. Here’s Green after the basket by Los Angeles. Here’s Booker. Phoenix no good that time either. Lakers trail by 13. [Applause] It’s stolen by Green. Brooker, the pass to Brooks. He gets that one. Brooks has got 20. And we’ll get a look at how the Hustle Stat game has been going for the Suns. They have been a wrecking ball defensively, coming up with steals, being active with their hands, and just doing a terrific job of disrupting the rhythm. And the relentless pace has really taken a toll on the opposition. Now Booker after LeBron’s three-pointer that didn’t go. There’s the three and it’s LeBron James with the rebound. He just doesn’t look like himself this quarter. Something’s missing. He seems like he’s moving okay, but clearly something isn’t right. Now here’s Donic. He’s got 15. And that one’s good. James, every coach in this league loves assisted baskets. It indicates your offense is flowing the way it’s supposed to. And timeout called by Jordan Aut. He’s going to make some adjustments to the game plan. Heat. Heat. All [Applause] that check in for the Suns. And the Lakers also making a switch. Smarts check in for Austin Reeds. [Applause] Suns leading by 13. Green kicks to Brooks. Some nice ball movement here by the Suns. A kick out to O’Neal. Good as Green picking up the assist. O’Neal’s got seven points in the game. Yeah, if you give him that much room, he’s usually going to connect. [Applause] Lakers have gone five of 12 from the field since the third quarter got underway. Eighton a screen on Allen. And here’s Donic from the arc. Good on the three-point shot. Donic has got seven points for the quarter. And I like the back and forth here showing confidence from Reigns. Yeah, he was so ready to answer that. These teams are just battling. Lakers trail by 13. LeBron passes to Hatchima and another basket for the Lakers. Here’s Green. Still scoreless pass to O’Neal. And here is Brooks. O’Neal. Screen on James. The drive by Brooks outside. Green. Allen with the screen for Green. Just five on the clock. Rebound. The Lakers. And Greg, you watch Jaylen Green. So much upside potential. Yeah, he can be streaky, but one of the most combustible scorers in the league. When he’s on, he can take over single-handedly. Now, here’s Brooks after Jaylen Greens miss. Brooks feeling it out a bit over James. Rebounded by DeAndre Eaton. Eighton’s got rebound number 17 if you can believe that. Ron right side for three. The shot will not fall. And so Allen will bring it up for Phoenix. Green kicks to Allen. Screen by O’Neal. Allen inside. Guarded by Donic. [Applause] And Green launches it from deep. It’s rebounded by Donic. Lakers trail by 11. Outside. Smart. Back to Donic. No good on the three. The Sun shooting a troubling 38% in the third. Not the finest work of this offense. Allen finds Green outside. Williams pass to Brooks in the corner. O’Neal with it. And again, it’s the Suns missing. The Lakers have gone seven for 16 the second half from the field shooting a bit under 50%. gets it down to single digits. Hachimura’s got nine points. And we know Hachimura has a confident personality. You see it there with the rise and fire approach. Nice. Now here’s Smart. Hasn’t made one yet. LeBron passes to Donic. [Applause] Pass to Hatchima and the Lakers hit again from deep. Just solid with the jump shot. Hachimura helps your offense in a number of ways. In that case, spacing the floor. Nobody near Allen. And just miss after miss right now. outside. Smart pass to Donic and it’s off from three-point range. Brooks against LeBron. 124 left in the third quarter. All he hangs in there and cashes in on the second chance points and the Suns lead by seven. Oh, what terrific hustle. He’s got a nose for the rebound. Craig, he’s ferocious when the ball goes up. And so JJ Reick will call a timeout. This now will give him a chance to discuss some potential changes. [Applause] Heat. Heat. [Applause] So, both teams changing it up here. [Applause] here are the Lakers. They’re on a 17-7 run. Reeves left top. Some nice passing here by Los Angeles. Here’s Cleba and Cleba slams it in. Yeah, he just punched the ticket on that one. That’ll get the job done. Powerful two hand jam. [Applause] Phoenix leading by five. [Applause] There’s 53 seconds left in the third quarter. That’s a good one. Shot clock at six and here’s Booker from the arc and it’s Labradia with the rebound against Smart. Back to Reeves outside Smart. Here’s Vanderbilt. Arabia passes to Reeves for Booker. Reeves can’t hit. Booker against Smart. Booker outside. That one’s not going to go. And that’s going to do it for the third quarter. Suns lead by five. And time to step aside quickly, but we’ll be back in no time with the start of the fourth quarter. [Applause] [Applause] And let’s take this chance now to show you the State Farm assist of the game. And he he may not be known as a pass first guy playing out of the two guard spot, but he shows here that he can dole out an assist or two when he needs to. Well, he knows it’s a team effort. It’s about finding the best shot, not just his shot. And I know I speak for all of us when I say I can’t wait to see what kind of finish awaits us here in the fourth quarter. Booker out there with Grayson Allen. Then there’s Dunn. Then it’s Nick Richards and it’s Igodarano in at the for. So that’s the lineup on the floor for the Suns. Now here’s Smart. Over [Applause] in the corner, Lorabia overdone and it’s Lorabia missing. Enzo Booker will bring it up for Phoenix. Pass to Allen. Back to Booker [Applause] looking to end his full spell. Walker going to work inside. Nice job getting inside for the layup. Got the definking jump shot. Gave a little pump fake and then off to the races. Reeves finds Smart. [Applause] [Music] the miss. Booker the pass to Richards. Kicks it out to Booker. Here’s Igodaro. There’s a good screen. Allen for three. Clea with the rebound. Reeves against Allen. [Applause] Arabia passes to Reeves. Launches it. Los Angeles with another miss. Phoenix leading by seven. Booker the pass to Allen and a great assist by Booker as that one goes in. Booker’s got his seventh assist in the game. Pass to Labraia. [Applause] The shot no good. done with some nice D. Allen outside. Here’s Igodaro. It’s tipped. Here’s Smart and he drops in the layup off the glass. Smart’s got his first points in this one. And that is a high quality shot. You will take it every time from that close. Just over two and a half minutes played now here in the final quarter of regulation. [Applause] Pass to Iodaro. Back to Booker. Fires for three. Another three for Phoenix. So Tim, and I can see it in my mind’s eye. You won that three-point contest back in 96. What’s the key to success in that event in particular? Oh, yeah. What a great night. And I think Kevin, there’s a few things. First, I just think you’ve got to have a short, compact release because then you’re not going to rush at the end to make sure you get all 25 balls up. But I also think part of it for me, I got to shoot first after the warm-up introductions because I was still loose. I didn’t have to sit there for 20 or 30 minutes during commercial break. I think that helped me win the title that night. A little strategy. [Applause] both. teams will make substitutions. It’s time to send it over now to our reporter Ally Leapor. Thanks, guys. I got a chance to hear what JJ Reic was saying to the team. Point blank. He wants better shot selection. He told them, “We’re settling, guys. Come on. We’re not being patient out there. We’re not working the ball around. That has to change right now.” Thank you once again, Ally. Now Lorabia left side back to Labraia and the whistle blows. It’s going to be on Luca Donuch. That’s his first foul. And we’re about three and a half minutes into the fourth quarter. Pass to Igodaro for three. Booker. Another three for Phoenix. Boy, you have to be impressed with the offensive production. They have got it firing on all cylinders. Well, you have to love the execution and you have to love the relentlessness. And you know what? But if you’re the defense, you got him right where you want him. Let him keep shooting those threes because he’s been brutal in this half and being that close to the hoop. I thought he had enough room to finish that one. Pass to Donic, the three-pointer, no good. And it’s the Suns ball. Big run right now going for him. 11-2. Dunn passes to Gillespie. Back to Dun. Good ball movement here by the Suns. Interior passing is so difficult if you aren’t precise. They were right there. Nice work. Lakers trail by 16. Some tough offensive sets. They want to turn it around. Yeah, right now you just need a bucket to get some momentum. Connect. No good. Well, that was a great challenge at the rim and a difficult adjustment to make. And even though he didn’t get a piece of that shot, you love the pressure he puts on the shooter. And sometimes that’s all you need to do to force that miss. Now, here’s Donic. Here’s Vanderbilt. And again, the Lakers no good. Here’s Booker. And the basket is good. And he’s got a chance here for one more at the line. Man, love how fearless Booker can be. Even the foul doesn’t deter him from finishing off his business. Both teams deciding to change it up. [Applause] And so Donic will bring it up for the Los Angeles Lakers. 19-point game. Reeves outside. Pass to Donic. Drills it from outside. Donic has got 10 points here in the second half. And Dantic used to creating kind of a luxury for him to simply catch and shoot. Here’s Booker and stolen by James. Here’s Reeves. Good. Nice job down low. And so here’s Phoenix. They’ve allowed just seven points here in the fourth quarter. Green passes to Booker. O’Neal a screen on Donic. Here’s Booker Bank in off the glass. Booker’s got 25 points in the game. And showing off a little with the handles there. Man, is Booker fun to watch. [Applause] Lakers trail by 16. James left side pass to Vanderbilt. Vanderbilt setting the pick for Reeves over Green. Reeves can’t hit and it’s Phoenix’s ball. They’re on an 18-7 run. Brooks against James. Brooks kicks to Booker and it’s Phoenix scoring again. And we see this so often from Booker because he has the green light to take any shot he wants. Los Angeles has gone into a funk from downtown in the fourth. Only one of their five three-pointers has found the bottom of the bucket. Now here’s a pass to James. Down to five on the shot clock. [Applause] Rebound by the Suns. Williams has got his 20th rebound here tonight. Saw that coming. Here’s Green and it’s good. Assisting on the play was Brooks and the Suns lead by 20. And how about the persistence from Green refusing to let the defense bully him on that drive. Here’s Reeves outside. Eight. A screen on Booker. Six to shoot from the high post. Donic. No good. Suns lead by 20. O’Neal on the wing. Pass to Williams. [Applause] Now Booker [Applause] on the wing. Green off target from three-point range. Lakers trail by 20. James looking it over now. Donic guarded by Green. Donic with the bucket. Very difficult to stop team play when the ball’s moving. Excellent find with the pass to create that scoring opportunity. Phoenix has gone three of five from beyond the arc since the final quarter’s gotten underway. [Applause] Booker with it now guarded by Eaton. And it’s LeBron James with the rebound. LeBron’s got four rebounds now tonight. Here’s Aiden. A quick pass leads him right to the rack. Impressive at using the pick and roll. Aiden slips well to the basket after setting that screen. [Applause] Suns leading by 16. Come get it. Come get it. Brooks outside. Now Green now. Booker. Five on the clock. What a finesse finish on the layin. Another good play. This is how they built the league. Calling on the right guys at the right time. Well, they’re making something very difficult look simple right now. Lakers trail by 18 and JJ Reick is called. Timeout. He knows every possession is critical now and they’re allowing too many points in the paint. Coach is going to let him hear about it. The rotations right now are just not good enough. That’s going to be a problem defensively all night. [Applause] Heat. Heat. [Applause] And one of our featured players tonight earns our player of the game, Devin Booker. And it’s been a terrific night for him in terms of the scoreboard. They’ve run a bunch of sets for him and he’s continued to come through scoring as well as he has. It’s taken a lot of pressure off the rest of his teammates. These fans love him and tonight he’s given them plenty to cheer about. [Applause] James up top. James a screen on Booker. John, the three is off. And the great shooters know when they’ve got enough opening to go for the three. I didn’t think it was a bad choice on that possession. Now here’s Booker. Tries from 10 and the shot is good. Booker’s got 31 points. Give them credit. They’ve worked hard all game. Now looking to finish it. I think the key here is to be careful about playing it too safely. Just keep doing what you’re doing. Outside Green. Past O’Neal. Green dishes to Booker. Rebounded by DeAndre Eaton. Eighton’s got rebound number 19 now. Incredible board work. Well guys, this was never really a contest. Just a total obliteration, if you will. And you can safely say mission accomplished now for Phoenix. It was a standout performance across the board. I mean, it was like watching a cat play with a mouse. They they were able to do more or less whatever they wanted. And you know, when you look at the huge impact he had, just a monster game for Devin Booker. Yeah, he was just laser focused in that game. It got to the point where you just knew if he shot it, it was going in. [Applause] Los Angeles has gotten some tough luck from three-point range. In the fourth quarter, they’ve hit just one of six from [Applause] now. Here’s Booker. Pass to Green [Applause] and no good. Good work defensively by Reeves over Green. Reeves gets the bucket. Oh, he had him spinning. He looks like he’s dizzy after that crossover and Phoenix can just let the clock run down here. Booker outside. [Applause] So, it’s the Suns easily here. It was a tale of two teams tonight. One that was in total control, operating flawlessly, and the other just searching for answers that they could never find. I mean, the energy here is just so tremendous. fans involved from the get-go and once they started to really pour it on, it was fun to see that rhythm and flow from their perspective. Thank you for joining us. That’ll do it for now. For Tim Leggler, Greg Anthony, and Ally Leforce, I’m Kevin Harland. This is the NBA on 2K Sports. And now we present the player of the game, Devin Booker. Grant, these are two teams with some of the highest assist rates in the league. Yeah, BA. And it really goes to show the unselfish attitude they both have, not to mention how many skilled passers are on both rosters. And now the Los Angeles starters. Hachimura a power forward with eight at center. Luca and Reeves are the one on the two. And it’s James in at the three. Now here’s Green Booker surveying the D. Just five on the clock. Rebound by the Lakers. Give the defender credit. Willing to challenge the shot. Lots of other guys just let them score there. And it’s slammed in by Aim Mura. Oh, what a finish. Rury showing off that athletic ability. And it’s Green with the ball for the Phoenix Suns. Count it. One for one to start the game. Just taking it right to the rim. And no one was there to greet him. Easy possessions like that literally are just a gift. You just dream of them. He will gladly take those. James Williams grabs the board. Not that time, but that’s a shot that he’s going to make more often times than not. All right, let’s check in with Alli Leforce. I had a chance to talk with the head coach for Phoenix. I asked him what lessons he’s learned from studying tape on Luca Donuch. And coach told me, well, one thing is you can’t force him into anything. Luca plays at the pace that he wants to play at and goes where he wants to go on the floor. But we can try and take away his options and that should present some obstacles for him. Brian, back to you. Okay, good stuff. Thank you, Ally. Now, here’s Booker Green. The pass to Williams. Shot clock at six. Booker can’t get it to go. The Lakers have gone one for three so far. And there’s the call on Jaylen Green. That’s his first foul of the game. [Applause] And the first quarter of action, two minutes in. Screen by James. Brooks against Reeves. Five on the clock. Here’s James and misses it off the right side of the rim. Brooks outside. [Applause] Booker against Donic. Outside Booker. It’s stolen by Donic. Now the Lakers moving it up. Oh, plenty of contact on that shot. Officials call the foul and he’ll take two free throws. Now that one on O’Neal. Oh, if you’re a defender, you got to be careful when it comes to guarding Hachimura. He is clever at getting contact. [Applause] free throw good. Aimura. Well, under the current salary cap, it’s not sustainable to have three max contracts. Richard, just ask the Suns. Yeah, you got to have depth to win in today’s NBA. The Suns traded away that depth to have three Max players and that limited their ability to put together a cohesive roster. And he can’t hit the second. And Richard coach JJ Reic coming under criticism for how he handled substitution patterns in last year’s playoffs. Look, he did an amazing job in guiding them to the third seed. And look, they just ran out of gas against a better Minnesota team. Players wish they had shots back and so do coaches sometimes. Here’s Reeves. The Suns getting their last shot to go. Pass to Green. Back to Booker. Williams with the screen to the middle and Williams punches it home. And that’s what happens when you don’t take care of the ball. Hey, that makes the turnover hurt even more. We know mistakes lead to breaks. That’s just textbook right there. Now Eaton. Now Reeves. [Applause] Nice ball movement by Los Angeles. Pass to Donic. [Applause] The shot won’t fall. Excellent D there from Booker on the wing. Green. [Applause] Brooks outside. Unloads from 13 again. Phoenix good for two. Such a reliable mid-range shooter. Brooks doesn’t hesitate when he sees an opportunity to rise up from there. And here’s Donic outside. And it’s Phoenix with the rebound. Williams has got his fifth rebound in this one. Wow. Holden offense. It’s been fun to watch. Yeah, just aggressive and effective. Taking it right to the defense. Green against Reeves. And that one’s good. Green. You can really feel the momentum swinging in their direction. Yeah, but they can’t relax. They’ve got to keep building on this lead because it is not safe. [Applause] Lakers trail by seven. They’ve been having major problems offensively. Definitely in a bit of a drive spell. Booker against Donic. They get back on track. Another miss by Donic. And even after airtight defense like that, you still just expect him to hit those kind of shots. Booker the pass to Green [Applause] and Aiden pulls it down. Decent look from mid-range. You almost have to take that shot to keep the defense honest. Donic outside. Aimura. The pass to Aiden. And here’s Donic from behind the ark. Knocks down the triple. Encouraging to see Donic sink the three. Needs to keep doing this now. And Booker has got the ball here for the Suns. Pass to Williams. [Applause] On the attack. Green Booker against Donic. Hooker good. and just making the defender look downright silly. Oh, that’s a move he’ll be bragging about all night. It’s going to be online everywhere. Anytime you get a guy on the ground, you’ve got the right to top some trash. Outside Reeves back to Donic. [Applause] Excellent D there from Booker. had enough room to finish and that’s one he’ll usually make. Brooks, the pass to Green. Williams, a screen on Reeves. Pass to Williams and the bucket counts and he is on his way to the line. He’ll try to make it a three-point play. [Applause] A chance to catch up on some numbers here. The scoring breakdown for the Suns. They’ve started the game the right way, penetrating the defense and attacking the rim. They’re just not settling. And the other thing you notice is how determined they’ve been to get into the paint and get buckets around the rim. Vanderbilt’s checked in for Los Angeles. [Applause] The free throw drops for Williams. And R.J., you grew up in Phoenix. I imagine still a lot of connections in this neck of the woods. Yeah, I was fortunate enough to win a state title in the same building that the Phoenix Suns play in. Some of the same ushers are still there. Then I played like college ball just a few hours away in Tucson. Bear down. Pass to Green. [Applause] Now Williams is covered by Aiden. Williams passes to Booker. Six to shoot. And once again off the mark by Phoenix. And it’s the Lakers on the break. James with the ball. O’Neal covers the shot by Reeves. No good. The Suns on offense. They’re on a 15-4 run. And it’s Green missing. Lakers trail by nine. Pass to James. Outside. Reeves. Back to Vanderbilt. [Applause] Donic outside. That falls. Nice feed that time from James. Donic has got six. And give Luca the ball and you know what happens next. Instantly he finds a shot. And here’s Booker. The three ball. Can’t hit that one. Brooks against James. Vanderbilt with a screen, releases. James can’t get it to go. The Suns lead by six. Left side. Green. It’s rebounded by Los Angeles. [Applause] Outside Reeves. Donic outside over Green. Donic with the bucket. And now it’s just a four-point Suns lead. Yeah, from a tough spot on the floor. Luca’s shooting ability on display right there. And so the timeout by Jordan Odd here. He’s going to take a minute to regroup with his players. [Music] Bring me down. [Music] Take me higher. Higher. [Music] [Applause] We can cate tonight. You can’t bring me down. Got my hands up. [Music] Take me higher. Higher. [Music] [Applause] [Music] Dunn, he’s checked in for the Suns. Allen comes in for Brooks. And then for Los Angeles, Cleba, he’s checked in for Eightton. Larabia comes in for James. And Smart subbed in for Reeves. [Applause] So, it’s Phoenix now. Four-point game. Pass to Williams. Great start so far. Three of three in this one. The defense expects Booker to find his own shot, but he gives it away off that pick and roll. [Applause] Los Angeles has gone two of five from deep. Smart passes to Cleba. And there’s the call. It’s going to be an illegal screen. The screener was leaning a bit right there. His feet may not have been planted. Pretty obvious call by the officials. Look, guys get away with this all the time, but on this occasion, he got caught. outside. Green [Applause] to the right side. Six on the shot clock. Right here. Right here. Hooker for three and gets a rebound. Williams. And Williams punches it home. And I just love how he’s making the effort plays that everyone around him appreciates. It is certainly making an impact tonight. Offensive rebounding is about hustle and determination. Huge put back making a statement there. And so it’s the Lakers with it. The Suns getting their last shot to go. Done with a steal into the lane. Oh, big finish. Wow. Okay, I see you. And that one is hammered home. They played with fantastic energy from the opening tip. Yeah, they’re in control on both ends of the court. And it’s always impressive when you build a double-digit lead in the first quarter. Now here’s Smart still without a bucket. Gives us a chance to catch up with Alli Leforce. Thanks. Well, Devin Booker grew up in Grand Rapids, Michigan, but around age 15, he moved to Moss Point, Mississippi to live and train with his father. Booker said, quote, I understood the goal and I just embraced the culture and the inner city. They took me in. It was really important time and it was good for me. Back to you guys. Thanks a lot, Ally. They’ve shown so much energy right from the start, particularly on the offensive end. They came out swinging, really setting the tone on offense and the opposition has not been able to respond. Here’s Smart after the basket by Phoenix on the other end over Booker and it’s Smart missing. Even though he had space, there is never an easy fade away. Done. Outside. Outside. Green down low and Booker with the jam. Building a big advantage early with a terrific allaround performance. They got off to such a hot start and that can keep you energized throughout the whole game. Boy, they’d love if anyone could get a bucket. Yeah, their offense has been grinding to a halt and again the Lakers no good. And so it’s Green who brings up the ball for the Phoenix Suns. They lead by 14. Williams a screen on Donic to the paint and Williams gets the bucket on the assist by Green. Williams has got 11 points. They’ve been very wellrounded and extremely focused. Yeah, not just an impressive showing on offense, but on defense as well, executing their game plan perfectly. Donic with the bucket. And we talk about the importance of versatility. He’s really got it all on the offensive end. It’s been all about Mark Williams for the Phoenix Suns. Dominating on the glass. What a quarter. More 2K action in just a moment. [Applause] And so far through one quarter, it’s been a lopsided game. We’ll see if that changes here in the second. And guys, the Suns enjoying a nice lead here. Well, it looks like hitting the boards hard was an emphasis of their attack. They knew how valuable it was to do so. Yeah, it’s clearly a focus for them in this one. And no question that all the second chance looks are paying off. They’ve got Nick Richards and it’s Gillespie in at the point. That’s the Suns five as we get into the second quarter and Vanderbilt slams it in. Smart is just such an effective combo guard. IQ off the charts. He’s just fantastic at getting his teammates going. The Suns lead by 12. Here’s Gillespie to the inside. Here’s Igdaro. No luck on that one. Excellent D there from Labraia. Pass to Cleba. Reeves against Allen. [Applause] Now here’s Reeds. He’s closely guarded. It’s not going to go for him. And about a minute gone in the second quarter. Richards. The pass to Allen. Some nice ball movement by Phoenix. Four on the clock from downtown and Reeves pulls it down. Lakers trail by 12. Kicks it out to Smart. There’s the three. The shot no good. Well, Phoenix’s shooting has been good. 54% on this one. Pass to Igodaro. And there’s the screen inside. And the layup is good. After a nice lead pass, Igodaro’s got his first bucket in this one for Los Angeles. They’ve gone just one of three to begin the second quarter. Now here’s Smart. Not a lot of room. He takes it in. The Lakers with another miss. Phoenix leading by 14. Here’s Gillespie. Still no points. Pass to Allen. [Applause] Here’s Ziggodaro. He’s looking good. Two buckets and three attempts. They’re punishing those late defensive rotations. Getting good looks inside throughout the half. Quarter two and just under two and a half minutes gone by. Smart passes to Clea. And here’s Reeves. Allen defending. Back to Cleba. It’s Smart on the wing. Clock at six. Los Angeles needs to get off a shot. And here’s Vanderville from the arc and the shot clock expires. 24 second violation. A different look for Phoenix. O’Neal. He’s checked in for Igodaro. Dylan Brooks comes in for Dunn and it’s Booker in for Gillespie. [Applause] The Suns have gone two of four here in the second quarter. And so the timeout by Jordan Odd here, he’s going to take a moment to give him a breather and talk things over. And Grant, when talking about certain players, we hear expressions like he does the little things or he does the dirty work. What does all that mean exactly? You know, it’s about what doesn’t show up in the box score. setting good screens, winning those 50/50 balls, hustling back on defense. Often it’s just as important as putting up those points. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. [Applause] Richards. The pass to Brooks. Scream by O’Neal. Here’s Booker. And the Suns miss again. Lakers trail by 16. Go [Applause] Labraia right side out to the right wing. Vanderbilt the pass to Smart from outside off the mark. I think he’s gone completely dry. Nothing is hitting. Yeah. And the risk now is that he gets inside his own head. Time to take deep breaths in through the nose, out through the mouth, and let the game come to you. and just totally relentless, only increasing the intensity level. Always plays hard until the final whistle, no matter what the situation is. Now here’s Reeds. No made baskets yet. Kicks it out to Smart. Nice ball movement by Los Angeles. Five to shoot to halt the run. It’s hauled in by the Suns. You know, Richard, when you think about work rate, Dylan Brooks and the effort with which he plays comes to mind. Yeah. If we created statistics based on effort, oh, Dylan Brooks would be one of the guys in the top of the list. Energy exerted, contact plays, bumps. He does everything to agitate the offensive player. Reeves the pass to Smart. Shoots over Booker and it’s Smart missing. And so it’s Booker with it. He brings it up for the Suns. 19-point lead, which is the largest margin of the game. Here’s Brooks. Perfect night so far. Two for two. And now a timeout called by JJ Reic. And we might see some changes. Coach potentially looking to adjust. [Applause] Heat. Heat. [Applause] Heat. Heat. Some changes for Phoenix. Williams has checked in for Richards and it’s done in for Allen. And then for Los Angeles, Koko, he’s checked in for Cleba. Connect comes in for Larabia and Donic has subbed in for Smart. [Applause] Lakers trail by 21. Donic deciding where to go with it. Oh, a beautiful reverse layup. Donic has got 12. Oh my. Tight defense, but Donic just muscles it in. [Applause] [Music] for Phoenix. They’ve gotten four of eight shots to drop in the second. Brooks outside. Back to Booker. Six on the shot clock. Up and over Donic. It’s rebounded by Los Angeles. Connect with the ball. O’Neal covers and he was fouled while in the act of shooting. So, he’ll take two free throws. Richard, it’s hard to believe, but this is already LeBron’s eighth season with the Lakers. Yeah, surpassing his first seven seasons with the Cavs. And look, this is his longest consecutive streak with one team, and he’s got a championship to show for it. [Applause] and he drops a first from going to the finals in 2021 to missing the playoffs last season. Grant, things have not gone according to plan for the Suns. Well, you know, BA, they followed that trip to the finals with a 64 win season, but then they went all in on the big three of Booker, Durant, and Beal, and that just didn’t yield the results they hoped for. And you got to love this connect kid. Started at a smaller division one school, transferred up to play big time college hoops, and now he’s here. Williams, a screen on James, and the call is going to be, yes, an illegal screen. You’re not going to fool the officials too often on an illegal screening. That’s a very avoidable turnover. You got to focus on the details. Aimura has checked in for the Lakers. Donic against Booker. Out to James. [Music] Back to Donic. There’s the triple. Excellent be there from Booker. That’s how you stay connected to a shooter was right in his jersey. Pass to Williams and Brooks with a basket on the assist from Williams. Brooks has got four points now in the quarter. A throwback wing. Dylan Brooks is very comfortable working down low. Now Aiden hasn’t gotten one to fall yet. outside connect. Aimura outside. Here’s James and once again off the mark by Los Angeles and it’s Phoenix’s ball. They’re on an 11 to3 run. Fires from the line. Booker good. Booker’s got nine points. So lethal from the mid-range. Booker’s just one of those guys that can hit you at all three levels. And Donic has got the ball here for Los Angeles. Trying to find a spark here. Yes, indeed. A rough stretch offensively. They could really use a basket. And so now a timeout called by JJ Reic. He’s going to gather the troops and talk it over. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. [Applause] Jaylen Green. He’s checked in for Phoenix. [Applause] So it’s Los Angeles now and he loss it up top. Oh, Williams with the block and he gets it back. [Applause] And it’s Phoenix’s ball. They’re on a 13-5 run. Brooks, the pass to Williams. Now here’s Booker. Williams. A screen on Donic. Pass to Brooks. And here is Green. Down to five on the shot clock. Rebound. The Lakers. Aton’s got five rebounds tonight. Outside connect back to Donic. Nice ball movement by Los Angeles. James deciding where to go with it. Oh, and the jab by Aton. Assertive basketball. Eightton getting after it on the offensive glass, using his size to his advantage. Now here’s Green. He’s covered by Connect down low. Here’s O’Neal. And he goes in for the dunk. He may not have that traditional power forward build, but his bounce, well, that kind of levels the playing field. Lakers trail by 20. All right, let’s get a report from Alli. Thank you, guys. Commissioner Adam Silver talked about tweaking the game. He said, “Annalytics takes sports in a certain direction because it’s the coach and GM’s job to win.” And they’ll do everything they can to do so under the existing rules. It’s on us to adjust because we’re also looking at the aesthetic appeal of the game, guys. Back to you. Thank you very much for the report, Ally. Now, here’s Green and he drops in the layup off the glass. Green’s got six points. Nice poise inside from Green showing how comfortable he is amongst the trees. Pass to James. Here’s Donic. Fires for three again. Donic missing. He hasn’t been able to find his touch this quarter. Yeah, straight up, guys. Like he’s ice cold. Like freezing. What’s colder than cold? But you don’t have to shoot it, my guy. It’s okay to pass the ball. Now here’s O’Neal. It’s a 22-point lead, the most they’ve led by. Booker for three. On offense, here are the Lakers. Everyone knows Devin Booker for one thing, Richard. His ability to score. Yeah, I always think back to that 70point game he had against the Celtics. He was only 20 at the time. The youngest ever in that 70point club. Here’s Brooks. He’s got six. Six to shoot. Williams finds Booker. No good from outside. Oh man, for whatever reason, he can’t get it going from three and he’s pretty good from there. And the basket by Achimura. Well, Honor’s inside out scoring ability is what makes him so valuable to their offense. Now here’s Brooks. Pass to Green. Brooks outside on the wing. Green. He’s covered by connect. Chalk up two there. Give him eight points now. I love seeing Green capitalize from that mid-range. These shots help get him into a groove. Just James on the wing. Back to Donic and it’s Phoenix for the rebound. Right side green and 101 left in the half. Outside for Brooks lets the three fly and that one’s good and Green with the assist. Brooks has got seven points here in the quarter. 54 seconds left in the second quarter. Pass to James. Now here’s Aiden. Donic outside over Booker. Yep. It finally drops after rolling around the rim. Donic has got 14. [Applause] Now here’s Green. The D’s right on him to the middle. Here’s Booker. And Booker with the jam. It’s hard to know what Green is going to do in these sets. He uses that unpredictability pretty much to his advantage though. James with the ball. He’s scoreless. Donic on the wing. [Applause] Aimura sets a screen, lets it fly again. Donic missing. Now, I understand that that shot didn’t go down, but they will take that look every trip down the floor. And that one’s good for Brooks. I mean, give their offense some love. They’ve been the more efficient team. Yeah, coach has to be thrilled. You can draw up all the X’s and O’s you want, but guys have to go out there and execute with enthusiasm. And so, it’s the Phoenix Suns with a commanding lead to end the quarter. 27 points. Looking good. It hasn’t taken them too many shots to get their points. They’re winning with efficiency. And don’t go far. We’ll be right back. [Applause] And as we dive into the second half, we’ll find out if the next two quarters are any different from the first two. So far, it’s been a runaway. [Applause] Well, Phoenix is shooting the ball at 60%, an excellent average. Second half underway. Here’s who JJ Reick’s got on the floor. Reeves and LeBron out on the perimeter. Aimura at power forward with eight at center. And it’s Donuchin at the point. Well, the Lakers shooting just 28% lacking confidence on offense right now. Reeves against Green. outside for Brooks. Green against Reeves. Just five to shoot. Williams. Oh, and it’s a big time dunk as he slams it right over Donic. Nice unselfish play by Green taking the time to get another guy a better shot. Here’s Reeves yet to see a basket. Pass to Aimura. Now Donic. Now James. Oh, almost had a four-point play right there, but he’ll go to the line with a chance for three. You know, not the smartest play a defender can make there. First trip to the free throw line for him in this one. Three shots. Three shots. [Applause] And he’s good on the first of three. What I appreciate about LeBron is how much he loves being a leader. He knows how much his teammates count on him. And the second free throw is good. [Applause] [Applause] And he nails the third. [Applause] And it’s the Suns with the ball. Pass to Booker. Aton against Williams. And here is Green over Reeves. Williams. Nice persistence to tip it back in. Williams has got 15. Great effort to turn the miss into two points. Yes sir. Those are the hustle points. James with the ball. Checked by Brooks. And that one good. Just a master of the mid-range. Look, LeBron James, he knows how to get to his spots and knock down the shots. It’s Booker on the wing guarded by Donuch. [Applause] Booker against Donic. A nice shot by Booker. He’s got 13. Crafty play by Booker inside navigating to a point blank look at the basket. Pass to Aiden on the wing. Aimura. Nice ball movement by Los Angeles. Shot clock at six from deep. Reeves. Brooks with the rebound. The Suns have gone three of five from the field in this third quarter. Williams passes to Green outside. Booker. [Applause] Oh, and he got fouled on his way up. He’ll head to the line to shoot two. Outstanding initiative from Booker. Terrific at earning these calls inside. Phoenix shooting their second and third shots at the line here. [Applause] And he makes a first. This is who you want at the line. And Booker gets himself there a lot. [Applause] Both free throws good from Booker. Time called here. Los Angeles decides to talk it over. And he hasn’t gotten anything to go. You can see the frustration mounting as a result. His team not in great shape either. [Applause] Heat. [Applause] Heat. [Applause] [Applause] [Applause] [Applause] Just over two and a half minutes gone by in the second half. Donic outside. Reeves finds Aimura and once again off the mark by Los Angeles. Here’s Brooks pass to Green and it’s out of bounds. They say it was last touch by Brooks. Horrible mistake right there. You hate to see unforced turnovers like that. Los Angeles has gone 0 for two from outside here in the third. And there’s James from the ark. Nails it from beyond the ark. James has got eight points in the quarter. When you’re guarding LeBron, you have to give him something. So the King, well, he’ll take a three-point basket. Booker, the pass to Williams. Now here’s Green. He’s covered by Reeves. Can’t get it to drop. Excellent D there from Eaton. Williams shot is good. And the defense has no one to blame but themselves. I mean, they just let him get right to the rim. That’s a great possession. Put your best players in a position to succeed. AI Mural from long range gets hauled in by the Suns. Williams has got his 16th rebound on the night. [Applause] Outside O’Neal. [Applause] Pass to Booker. Back to O’Neal. James with a steel and they’re pushing it up. Here’s Aimura. That falls. Nice feed that time from James. Aimura’s got seven points. And I’ll tell you what, the way they’re able to pressure the ball and those quick hands. That’s what led to an opening. And as soon as they got the steal, it was off to the races. This is the aggressive mindset that the coaching staff encourages them to maintain. Shot clock at five. Hooker no good. Los Angeles has gone one of four here in the third from range. Reeves the pass to Donic and he converts the layup. 16 points for him. The size and strength of Donic can go overlooked. I mean he’s more than capable of scoring there in the paint. And Booker’s got the ball here for the Suns. Well, one of the many things that’s impressive about Luca Donuch, he double clutches so well, right? And even absorbs contact in the air. And somehow someway still has a very high field goal percentage. Luca, his game defies logic. Maybe Luca’s logic. Donic finds James. Aimura sets a screen. [Applause] Down to five on the shot clock. Fires top of the key. Tonic no good. The Suns have gone five for nine from the floor in the third quarter. Booker against Aiden. Booker. The pass to Green. Shot from the top of the key. The Lakers with the rebound. I don’t know if he got in his own head there or what, cuz the defense can’t really take credit for that miss. Yep, that one goes. And how about the handles? Luca has phenomenal at creating scoring opportunities for himself. Three-pointer. Brooks. Donic pulls down the board. Donic has got four rebounds now to the paint. And it’s Aimura missing. Phoenix has got nothing to fall from outside in this third quarter. Hooker’s shot is good. That’s the kind of shot this offensive scheme is meant to produce. The Lakers shooting well here in the third, hitting 50% of their shots. Nice ball movement by Los Angeles. James can’t get it to go for Phoenix. They’ve gotten six of their first 12 shots to drop in this third. To the inside. Oh, deflected and it’s out of bounds. Still Phoenix’s ball. A great read to get a hand in there and disrupt the play. Yeah, I think he was hoping to maybe even get the steal, but I agree. He’s still got a good outcome. And the Suns going with a whole new group out there. And the Lakers also making a change. Smarts checked in for Reeves. Here’s Dunn. [Applause] Allen outside. Six to shoot. Pass to Igodaro. Launches a three. Allen can’t get it to go. Los Angeles has gone one of four here in the third from range. James with the ball. Richards picks him up and the foul is called. He missed it. So, he’s got a couple of free throws coming his way. Defense has no good answer for Aiden there. So, they come at the big man and foul. All right, guys. What do you think so far on the offensive approach for Phoenix? Take a break. Oh, they’ve been punishing the inside defense consistently in this one. Look, it’s been a very productive area of the floor for them. Yeah, something else I love that they’re doing is driving into the lane and getting the shots they want in penetration. And he knocks down the first one. And I love the footwork possesses. It’s what makes him so dangerous close to the rim. Vanderbilt’s checked in for Achi Mura. [Applause] Aiden hits them both and they’ve been moving the ball really well tonight. Good things come to those who take good shots. There’s a screen. Here’s Allen. And once again, off the mark by Phoenix. looked like he just rushed it there. Just maybe take a little bit more time in the future. The shot by James. No good. One side has dominated tonight. Yeah, they’ve done a fantastic job of imposing their pace and style of play to the middle. Allen outside. Just five on the clock. Down low. Here’s Dunn and he jams it after taking the nice feed on the run. Just a textbook lead pass right there. Putting it right where it needed to be. [Applause] Well, Los Angeles shooting a low 31%. Their offense is lacking. This James on the wing. Pass to Donic. Stolen by Allen. To the paint. Here’s Gillespie. Oh, a clear foul there on the missed shot. So, he’ll get a pair at the line. They’ll pin that one on Marcus Smart. The officials were right on top of that one. Phoenix shooting their fourth and fifth shots at the foul line in this game. [Applause] And the first one at the line is good. Some changes now for the Lakers. Clea, he’s checked in for Eightton. Larabia comes in for LeBron. And Austin Reeves is subbed in for Donic. [Applause] Good on both. And here’s Smart. No points yet. [Applause] On the wing. Reeves. [Applause] Six on the shot clock and the layup falls. Not just a jump shooter. Reeves is also skilled at converting in close. Pass to Igodaro. Deflects the pass. Good drive by Reeves. Oh, a twohanded power slam. And that’s what happens when you don’t take care of the ball. Hey, that makes the turnover hurt even more. We know mistakes lead to breaks. That’s just textbook right there. Gillespie passes to Allen inside. Richards. Perfect pass to set up the layin. Used the pick to perfection and got all the way to the rim. And Reeves has got the ball here for the Los Angeles Lakers. Clea with a screen down low and he got the whistle on the way up. So he’ll be headed to the line for a pair. No debate there. He he got hammered. These are his first free throws of the game. shooting two. The free throw dropped for Vanderbilt. [Applause] So after making the first, he goes one for two. The Suns have gone 50% from the field in the third quarter. Eight of 16. Here’s Allen. That shot off the mark. Reeves with some nice D. Pass to Vanderbilt to the paint. Ala Cleba. Nice ball movement by Los Angeles. Clock at six. Here’s Vanderbilt. The three and it’s rebounded by Gillespie. To the inside. Here’s that one goes in as he’s fouled. It’ll be three points if he converts the free throw. [Applause] Phoenix shooting their sixth attempt at the charity stripe in the game. [Applause] We’ve got a minute 48 left in the third quarter. [Applause] Here’s Smart. No points so far. Here’s Cleba. Shot blocked. Here’s Gillespie. Defended by Smart. Pass to Allen to the middle and that one’s good. Igodaro. Igodaro’s got five points in the quarter. Nice ball movement there. That’s how you break down the defense. 111 left to play in the third. Lavia outside back to Reeves. Here’s Clea covered by Richards. Clea passes to Reeves. Shot clock at six outside Vanderbilt. Here’s Smart and it’s good with time running down on the shot clock. Playing up to the very last second. Marcus Smart look, he’s determined to get that shot off. Pass to Allen. Puts up a three. Gets the three ball to go. Allen’s got five now. pick works well there, but the defense left a lot to be desired. Yeah, that just comes down to a lack of effort. The defender has to do a better job fighting through the screen. Here’s Smart. Here’s Larabia and the three off target. Phoenix has gone two of six from downtown here in the second half. [Applause] Reeves against Allen. over Reeves. No good with a fallback jumper. And so it’s Phoenix with a gigantic 33-point lead at the close of the quarter. Their defensive efforts have paid off, effectively shutting down the opposing offense. We’ll be right back with you shortly. [Applause] And it’s time to bring up the State Farm assist of the game. And from the two guard spot, an unselfish play like this sets a fantastic tone. And from a team perspective, having your offg guard ripoff passes like that, it’s awesome. It shows you have guys willing to give up the rock. And with the fourth quarter upon us, time is running out for this game to become competitive. They’ve got Grayson Allen and it’s done in at the small forward position. That’s who’s out there for Phoenix. Vincent passes to Cleba. Now here’s Vincent. The shot from 20 ft out and it’s Phoenix with the rebound. Richards has got his fourth rebound in this one. [Applause] Here’s Gillespie down low. Nice pass. Nice catch and a resounding dunk. That is a perfect placement of that dime. Just guided it right to him. And Reeves has got the ball here for the Los Angeles Lakers. Vincson outside. They set the pick. Richards pulls it in. Richards has got five rebounds tonight. Pass to Igodaro. Allen with it now. Vanderbilt defending. Allen against Vanderbilt. Six on the shot clock. Here’s Igdaro. Here’s Gillespie. Knocks down the long J. Now, you have to extend that defense. I mean, you really have to stay connected to him at all times. And the lack of defensive pressure on shots like that is a big reason they’re down by double digits. Things just don’t seem to be clicking for them offensively. Yeah, they really need to find a way to get back on track. Vincent passes to Reeves. Over Allen. Shot is good by Reeves. They have really been in control of this one. You don’t want to get complacent here. Done outside. Here’s Gillespie. Back to Dun and he jams it home with authority. Come on, BA. He sure can rise. Grab. That’s as good as it gets. One of the best in the league. So, it’s Los Angeles now. We’re in the fourth quarter here. They’re just under 2 and 1/2 minutes gone by. Allen against Reeves. Labraia left side. Five on the clock. Cleba passes to Vanderbilt from the arc and it’s Phoenix with the rebound. Pass to Allen. [Music] Some nice ball movement by Phoenix. banked it in off the glass. Since half, there’s been a stark contrast between these teams. I’m talking about efficiency at the offensive end and start with their defense. They’ve been intense on that end and they can actually help their offense as well. The Lakers have gone one of four since the fourth quarter began. Larabia passes to Vincent. Back to Larabia outside Vanderbilt. Clea outside from deep Reeves and it’s Phoenix for the rebound. Richards has got his sixth rebound on the night to the inside and stolen by Reeves. [Applause] We played just over three and a half minutes now in the fourth quarter. Benson outside. Labia with a screen. Benson passes to Clea. Shot is good by Reeves. Nice concentration from Reeves. Never loses focus despite the contact. Pass to Igodoro. And here’s Allen. Here’s the pick. This one for three. Vanderbilt pulls it in for Los Angeles. They’ve gotten only two of six attempts to drop in the fourth. Allen against Reeves. Here’s Vincent. Offline with a three. Phoenix has gone one of two from deep in this quarter. [Applause] Here’s Gillespie. He’s covered by Vincent to the paint. Here’s Igadaro. Oh, a nice onehanded slam right there. NBA. The one hand dunk just looks so fluid. Yeah, absolutely. Even smooth when he’s powering it home like that. Los Angeles has gone 0 for three here in the fourth. Pass to Vanderbilt. [Applause] Now Vincent inside Vanderbilt. The pass to Vincent and finished off by Cleba. and he just punches home the one-hand finish. Hey, two points the easy way. The Suns have gotten five of six shots to go in the fourth. Here’s the Gdaro. Allen outside. There’s a screen to the paint. Hey, how’s that for an answer? Right back with a dunk. Oh, I love that possession for them ending with an assisted bucket. [Music] [Applause] for Los Angeles. They’ve gotten three of eight shot attempts to find the net here in the fourth quarter. Pass to Vincent. It’s stolen away. Pass break. Here we go. And Allen gets it to go. Allen’s got four points now in the quarter. Transition basketball, the most reliable way to generate easy looks. Yeah, when you hustle on the break like he does, good things tend to happen. And Reeves has got the ball here for Los Angeles. [Applause] Vanderbilt. A screen on Allen. Vincent outside. Six to shoot. Pass to Larabia. Releases. It’s wide right. Hits off the rim. And the Suns with possession. They’re on a 15-6 run. Gillespie passes to Richards. Oh, and makes it with the kiss. Well orchestrated. And then the pass is right on the money. The Lakers shooting 33%. This hasn’t been their quarter. Vincent passes to Reeves. [Music] The rebound by Allen. The Suns have gone eight of nine here in the fourth quarter. Pass to Richards now. Allen. Shot clock at six. [Applause] 11 ft out again. Felix good for two. Great look on the interior and this man capitalizes. They need something good to happen here. Yeah, they’ve gone way too long without a score. Vanderbilt with a screen. Benson passes to Vanderbilt and he’s going to the line for two. The officials saw contact while he was going up. As you know, acquiring a big man was a priority for the Lakers in the offseason, Grant. And that became a glaring need as we saw in their first round exit against Minnesota. But enter DeAndre Aton. A definite upgrade BA. And we know Luca is at his best alongside a rim running center. The free throw drops for Vanderbilt and Grant, you played a half decade in Phoenix. What stands out the most? Well, BA, a great city with great fans and that exciting run in 2010 where we made it to the conference finals. Here’s what Los Angeles is going with right now. DeAndre Eaton, he’s checked in for Cleba. James comes in for Larabia. And Luca Donic subbed in for Vincent. Here’s Gillespie. Pass to Fleming. Here’s Goodwin. He’s covered by Reeves. Good one. Passes to Gillespie. Lets it fly. James with the rebound. Coaches love empty possessions. You got to be able to hit the easy ones. [Applause] to the inside. Here’s Vanderbilt and Vanderbilt slams it in. And LeBron James will outsmart you. He will open up things for other teammates with the pick and roll. Phoenix has gone one of two from deep in this quarter. [Applause] Pass to Gillespie to the middle. Done with it. James is there. Shot on the wing. The shot by Dunn. No good. And the shooter had very little space on that attempt. I’m sure they’ll think twice about shooting against him next time. Reeves. The pass to Donic. Lets it go from the wing and it’s Phoenix for the rebound. Here’s Goodwin. Pass to Fleming. Don outside. Here’s Goodwin for three. James with the rebound. James has got four rebounds in the game. Here’s Donic offline with a baseline jumper. Done. The pass to Fleming. Here’s Gillespie. to stop the drought. And that one’s good. Fleming, even with the score as it is, he just keeps coming at you. Here’s Reeves. Donic outside. Outside Vanderbilt. Pass to Reeves. Takes a three. That’s bucket number five. He’s five for 12 now. Their offense gets that much better when the D has to pay attention to Reeves outside the ark. And Phoenix has possession. There’s a minute 54 left in the fourth. Good one. Passes to Fleming. Some nice ball movement by Phoenix. Five to shoot. The Suns need to get off a shot. Here’s Gillespie and no good. Oh, great D that time from Donic. [Applause] Reeves. The pass to Vanderbilt. Donic outside. Screen by James. Top of the key. Count that one. Donic has got 20. And let’s face it, this one was never really in question. They came out with purpose and just overwhelmed the opposition. A great win for the Suns. And you don’t usually see this kind of blowout, but tonight they delivered the punishment. I mean, what’s so impressive is they never wavered in their approach. They just kept at it and showed they were without a doubt the better team. And while there were some guys out there that played well, what really stood out was the production from Mark Williams. I think his biggest contribution may have been on the boards. He kept plays alive and denied second chances. They’ve got a commanding lead. It just seems like everything is going their way. Pass to Malawatch down low. Here’s Fleming. Vanderville pulls it in and Reeves has got the ball here for Los Angeles. Now here’s Aiden. [Applause] There’s the block. Gillespie passes to Goodwin. So, no problem for Phoenix as they get the win. We saw two different teams tonight. One play with confidence, operating flawlessly. the other just lost. And the energy in this building was awesome. The crowd was involved from the jump. And once they started to really pour it on, it was fun to see how it all came together. And that about wraps it up. For Richard Jefferson, Grant Hill, and Ally Leforce, this is Brian Anderson. Thank you for being with us. And time now to introduce our player of the game, Mark Williams. [Applause] On paper, this game looks one-sided, GA, but you never know in the NBA, do you? As they say, anything can happen. Yeah, I mean, just so much talent in the league. If one or two guys get hot, this could end up being an upset. The difference between good teams and bad is razor. And now the Lakers starting group. Aimura is the four with eight playing the five. Reeves in it. Shooting guard. James is the small forward and it’s Donic in at the one. Brooks right side outside. Williams. O’Neal a screen on Eightton. A kick out to O’Neal and the three off target. Definitely a situation you want to make sure you don’t give him too good of a look. And he gets the bucket. Nice job by Hachimur. He is so good below the foul line. [Applause] And now just over a minute played here in the first. And now Hi Lefor says something for us from the sideline. I caught up with the head coach for the Suns. We talked about the always daunting prospect of slowing down LeBron James. He told me, quote, “As dangerous a scorer as LeBron is, we can’t devote too much attention to him because he knows how to use his teammates. If we overplay him, he’ll pick us apart with his passing.” Back over to you guys. All right, Ally. Thank you. Now, here’s Booker after Jaylen Green’s miss out to Brooks. [Applause] Pass to Green. Block at six. Screen by O’Neal. Green. No luck. Lakers have gone one of three from the field to start this one so far. Booker against Donic. [Applause] Now here’s Booker. He’s tightly guarded. He gets hauled in by Los Angeles. You won’t see that from him very often, missing the bunny like that. LeBron James on the wing. Back to Reeves. Eight. A screen on Green. Bounce pass from Reeves. And LeBron gets it to go with the assist by Reeves. Not the guy you want to give three-point opportunities to. LeBron doesn’t hesitate to take these shots and knock them down. And here in the first, approaching three minutes played. Well, Clark, for a while, people kept asking, “How long will LeBron play?” It’s almost like they’ve given up on that question now. He’s played for so long and so well. Yeah, he’s been unbelievable in his longevity and excellence, but eventually Father Time wins out. He’s a superhero right now and I think always will be. I can’t imagine that he’ll overstay his ability to play at a high level. So, we’ll see what that brings. Heat. Heat. [Applause] Heat. Heat. [Applause] first. First quarter basketball just over two and a half minutes played. Brooks the pass to Williams. O’Neal sets the screen for Green. Just five to shoot. Here’s Booker. Another miss. And they’ve really hit a rough patch here. Los Angeles leading by three. Reeves the pass to Donic. [Applause] Oh, eight in position up high to stop the alley. And the impressive reach of Aiden. Lob it up his way and he’ll take care of the rest. [Applause] And first quarter, we’re about three and a half minutes in. Reeves against Green Booker. Phoenix no good that time either. Very dangerous to leave a guy like that open. Lucky break there for the deep. It’s Brooks on the wing covered by LeBron and the rejection by Eaton. Tremendous at anticipating when shots are going up. Eightton is outstanding at protecting the rim. Anj passes to Eightton with the fadeaway. Phoenix grabs the miss. Brooks outside over in the corner. Green Phoenix no good that time either. Enzo Donic will bring it up for the Los Angeles Lakers. Reeves outside. James looking it over. [Applause] Donic outside. Offline with his three. Suns trail by five. They need a bucket in a big way here to regain some confidence. Here’s Green and he finishes nicely on the layup. I don’t think Green knows how to slow down or back off. I mean, even with the defense right in his face, he’s going right at it inside. Here’s Reeves. No scoring in this one. Eighton a screen on Brooks to the inside. Taken away by Williams. And here we go with Brooks running it up the court and the dunk by Brooks. And Brooks known as somebody that provides great energy and hustle, especially when the break is on. And here is Donic. And so JJ Reick will call a timeout. He’s going to take this chance to talk to his guys. Heat. [Applause] Heat. [Applause] [Applause] [Applause] It’s stolen by Green. Booker against Donic. Booker dishes to Green. Booker outside. [Applause] Williams. A screen on Donic and the slam by Williams and just scrapes and claws for that offensive rebound and doesn’t take any chances there with the put down. And G strong work all around and the rebound and the stuff both. Wow. Yep. He stayed with it all the way and got his reward at the end. Donic with the bucket. The guard attributes on display there. Luca with one of the quicker releases you’ll see in the game. You know, GA, it seems like a lot of players welcome the opportunity to play in Phoenix. Talk about what makes this market to a player so appealing. I mean, the weather has a lot to do with it, right? Basketball is a winter sport. So for those snowbirds out there, Arizona is a great choice. Now here is Hatchim. Rebound by Williams. Williams has got four rebounds in this game. Green kicks to Booker. Good as Green picking up the assist. Skillful make inside by Booker. Able to find his spot for the finish. [Applause] The Lakers trail. [Music] James in the post. Ratanum in a wide open look for Hatimura. That three off the mark. Phoenix has gone 04 from three-point land to start out. Looking cold from outside and that one good. Green’s got his second bucket of the game to go. Green is so agile. Even when Jaylen has the ball in his hands, he can outrun a lot of guys. [Applause] Lakers trail by three, guys. They’re looking for a way to score here. Yeah, they’ve had a tough time taking the lid off. [Music] Pass to Eaton. Now here’s Donic. Again, the miss by the Lakers. Greg, I’m sure their coach is very pleased with their offensive flow right now. I mean, it’s harder than it looks to get it going like this. Now they just have to maintain it. Two points. That one goes and the Suns lead by five. Defensively there. You play Booker to shoot, but he’s also a willing passer. [Applause] Los Angeles has gone one of five from downtown in the first quarter. Points out there have been hard to come by. Breeze with the screen for LeBron. And a beautiful feed leads to a monster jam. Boy, you got to love that assist by LeBron. [Applause] And it’s Phoenix’s ball. They’re on a 12 to4 run right now. Williams has a screen for Green. Pass to Williams. Some solid defense from Eightton. Lakers trail by three. This one for three and LeBron gets it to go with the assist by Reed. LeBron’s got six points. Let’s check in now with our Ally Lefors who’s got a story for us. Ally, thanks a lot. Devin Booker’s focused on hooping and leaving a legacy. He said, “My thing is, and Kobe said it too, inspiring the youth is everything. A kid grows up and is like, man, I want to be Devon. I want to dress like him. I want to play like him, and that’s what makes me wake up in the morning.” Kevin, back to you. Truly a role model for that next generation. Okay, Ally, we thank you for the report. [Applause] Heat. Heat. [Applause] [Applause] [Applause] Heat. Heat. [Applause] [Applause] Done. He’s checked in for Phoenix. Allen comes in for Dylan Brooks. And Los Angeles will go for a different look here. Maxi Cleba, he’s checked in for DeAndre Aton. Vanderbilt comes in for Hatchima. Jake Laabia is checked in for James. And Smart subbed in for Austin Reeds. [Applause] Williams passes to Green. And here is Dunn. Booker outside. Six on the shot clock. Back to Dun. No good from outside. Lakers have gone six of 13 from the field. Just under the 50% mark. Near the three-point line. It’s Donic. That doesn’t go in. Had a chance though to take the lead. Here’s Green. The put back. It’s good on the putback and the Suns lead by two. Way to work the glass. Buffet style. Second chance bucket. They can make a big difference. Donic dishes to Smart. Fires the three. They get it back. Takes the three. And it’s Luca Donuch with the three. Donic has got five. The defense just has to live with these results. I mean, that’s a tough shot from Donic. Done with a screen on Donic. Dun shots. Good. A lot of give and take between these sides early. Yeah. And both teams look like they came to play. He should have a good one. Lakers have gotten seven of their first 16 field goal attempts to go down here in the first. Outside Smart. [Applause] from 11 ft away. Good D by Booker. The Sun shooting to start this game off about 41% from the floor. Allen outside. Williams has a screen for Allen inside. Loravia with it. Still yet to score. Honores with a screen on Booker. Booker against Smart. Here’s Larabia. Good. And Smart gets the assist. And he’s not going to miss that sort of an opportunity from deep. The Suns trailing. [Applause] Allen surveying the D. [Applause] On the wing. Booker guarded by Smart. And Booker kicks to Green. Five to shoot. Allen with the screen for Green. Hands it from downtown. Seven points in the game. Of course, a volume three-point shooter like Green has an answer. He was ready to strike back in a hurry outside. Smart. [Applause] Los Angeles needs to get off a shot here. Vanderbilt misses and the foul on Marcus Smart. That’s his first foul. The Suns leading just two seconds between shot clock and game clock. Come on. Come on. Allen against Donic. Hey, right there. Right there. 12 seconds left to play in the first quarter. Allen outside. shoots over Donic that doesn’t fall. Can’t drop his first shot. And still a close game as the first quarter comes to a close. Suns lead by one. We’ve got more hoops coming your way in just a moment. [Applause] [Applause] And some good action in the books as we get back to the game that’s been pretty close here so far. And a closer look here at the hustle stats for the Suns. They’ve really been disruptive on the defensive end, forcing turnovers and turning those turnovers into points at the other end. And let’s also give them some credit for running the break so well. They’re making the most of their chances to score in transition. So on the floor for the Lakers to start this second quarter and we’ve got Jared Vanderbilt. Austin Reeves out there with Marcus Smart. Then it’s Jake Laavia and it’s Cleba in at the five spot. Now here’s Smart. He has yet to score. And there’s the whistle. Illegal screen. And not the most common call you’ll see in the NBA, but hard to argue that pick wasn’t illegal. Yeah, you know, the officials aren’t nearly as lenient as they used to be on that call. As a matter of fact, I know I got away with a lot of those in my playing days, but that was 40 years ago. Here’s Gillespie. And looks like the illegal kick was set. Yep, that’s right. That’ll get their attention. The Lakers trail. [Applause] Here’s Reeves to the paint. Wants to get it for Arabia and does. And we’ve seen several lead changes tonight. Neither team giving an inch. Yeah. And the lead has changed hands and it just hasn’t stayed in those hands very long when it’s changed. Back and forth we go. Wow. Clark, has Austin Reeves been good? Especially after signing that 4-year, $54 million deal back in 2023. Yeah, I tell you what, it might be the best value contract in the league. I mean, Reeves just continues to improve each season. He’s got a very efficient and effective game, and he’s also shown the ability to be much in the clutch at times. Lakers shooting reasonably well, 45%. [Applause] Clea, the pass to Reeves in the corner. Smart with it. Throws it up high. Pick off in midair. [Applause] Pass to Labraia. [Applause] Here’s Vanderbilt. Smart passes to Reeves from outside. Off the mark, deflects the pass. Reeves against Allen. Now here’s Dunn. Now Allen. Shot clock at five. Fires away from way outside. Lakers with the rebound. Really good shot contest there and made it tough for the shooter. Pass to Vanderbilt. And here’s Smart defended by Allen and foul on the shot. So he’ll get a chance at the line. Well, you think about clutch players, Greg, you think scoring. But is that accurate or can clutch be in any facet of the game? It’s in all phases. And you think of guys who always seem to come up with that crucial rebound or that big time stop. Being clutch comes down to will as much as skill. [Applause] First one falls for. And some of what Smart gives this team doesn’t always show up in the stat sheet, but but he makes plays that help you win. Alton connect. He’s checked in for Jake Larabia. [Applause] That one misses. You can tell that miss at the line might stick with him for a while. Always hurts to miss a chance to take the lead. Pass to Brooks. And here’s Booker out to Brooks over Vanderbilt. Brooks misses. And so it’s Smart. He’ll bring up the ball for the Lakers. Only giving up two points this quarter. Vanderbilt. A screen on Booker. The shots good from Vanderbilt. And that’s just really good situational awareness from Smart Realizing someone was open on that possession. The Suns have gotten only one of their first four shots in the second quarter to drop. Here’s Brooks and the shot goes down. Brooks has got it all tied up now for the Suns. [Applause] Here’s Smart. And in the second quarter, a little under three and a half minutes played already. Reeves outside. [Applause] Vanderbilt setting the pick for Reeves. It’s stolen by Allen. Driving to the basket and slam dunk by Allen. Got to take care of the ball. They’ll punish you if you’re that careless. That’s right. And that’s severe punishment right there. Exactly. I mean, when you’re running neck to neck, those kinds of mistakes tip the scales. And so it’s the Lakers with it following the score by Phoenix. [Applause] Smart against Booker. Six to shoot. Smart kicks to Vanderbilt. Good. And Smart gets the assist. And that is a big time shot. And a really dumb foul. Don’t give him the and one on a three-pointer. And a look at how the offensive approach has been going here so far for the Lakers. You know, right from the start of scene, they got hot from three-point range, pulling apart the defense and racking up the points, too. And I also like how they’ve trusted one another with the rock, creating shots by keeping the ball moving. And that one falls for Vanderbilt. For Phoenix, they’ve gone 50% from the floor in the second quarter. Three of six. Williams has a screen for Booker. Screams over Donic. There’s Williams. It’s rebounded by Kawoko. That’s the kind of D you need when he’s got the ball near the hoop. They were all over. Connect. No good. And not allowing the shooter even an inch of breathing room on that one. And guys, that’s exactly the kind of high impact defense they want to see out of him. Now here’s Booker and they call the foul. So, he’s got the and one chance here to make it a three-point play. An awesome distributor. Booker’s floor awareness and understanding of when to dish it is a real weapon. The Sun shooting their first free throw of the game. And last season when they got themselves to the line. They usually came through as a team up around 81%. And you know, a lot of times guys in some of their performances last year, their free throw numbers helped them win games. That one misses for Williams. Los Angeles has gotten a lot of looks from outside tonight. Five of 12. Gette finds Donic. Lakers working the ball around now. Just five on the clock and it’s wide right. It’s off the rim for Phoenix. They’ve gone four of eight so far here in the second quarter. Brooks. It’s hauled in by Los Angeles. Eightton’s got five rebounds tonight. Up top. Reeves. Defended by Booker. Booker against Reeves. Pass to Donic. And again, no good by the Lakers. Phoenix has gone 02 from people in the second. Done with it. Now guarded by Eaton. O’Neal from long range. Misses that one. He’s made one and missed two this game so far. On the wing. Reeds. Brooks covering. And here’s Donic from the AR. It’s hauled in by the Suns. Not sure why he keeps trying his luck from deep here. It’s just not his night. Got a piece of it. It’s stolen by Vanderbilt. Vanderbilt a screen on Brooks and the dunk by Vanderbilt. You know, he may have a scores mindset, but Reeds makes plays for others, too. The Suns trailer. Brooks dishes to Booker. [Applause] in down low. Booker refuses to be denied. And nothing you could do. I mean, at times Booker is just going to score no matter what you throw at him. [Applause] LA’s gone one of four from three-point range in the second. Not a whole lot dropping out there for them. Oh, and the jam by Eaton. And look at Aiden get up there. Have to enjoy watching the big man getting tricky with it. [Applause] Anzo Booker will bring it up for the Phoenix Suns. Brooks outside. And it’s done in the corner. Hooker outside, fires the three and it’s with the rebound. Eightton’s got rebound number seven for him tonight. Reeves against Brooks. Eight screen on Brooks. Shot clock at six. to the middle. Rebound by Williams. Williams has got rebound number 11 for him here tonight. Dunn passes to Williams. Three-pointer. It’s hauled in by Los Angeles. Here’s Reeds. Pass to connect. Over done. Connect. No good. And for the Suns, they’re shooting 38% in the second quarter. Offensively, they look a little bit confused. Good work there as it goes. And you know, he’s not usually the guy to break out the crossover. Work for him that time, but I’m not sure I would be doing that consistently. And so JJ Reick will call a timeout. He made the decision to huddle up with his guys and talk about strategy. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Jaylen Greens checked in for Dun and then for the Lakers. Hatchim is checked in for Vanderbilt. LeBron comes in for Dalton Connect. And Vincent subbed in for Austin Reeds. Phoenix on defense [Applause] to the left side wing. Eightton kicks to Donic. looking for eight. He gets it in there. You can’t get that one. Yeah. And that was lining up to be a huge alleyoop, but they just couldn’t quite connect. And you know, guys, always a tough catch on the lob. Placement and timing have to be close to perfect. LA has gone 104 from three-point range in the second. Not a whole lot dropping out there for them. And that one drops for him. A Moa really thrives in that mid-range area. [Applause] Well, Phoenix shooting 40% since the beginning of the second quarter. [Applause] Green against Donic. Out to Brooks. There’s the triple. It’s called in by Los Angeles. Eighton’s got nine rebounds in the game. Getting it done. Here’s James. James absorbing hits on the drive and making it look easy. LeBron overwhelms the defense inside. Suns trail by four. Green taking his time here. And that one good. Green’s gotten out. And they keep hammering away at him inside, forcing the ball into the paint for Los Angeles. They’ve gone seven of 15 from the field here in the second quarter. Just under 50% shooting. [Applause] Donic outside. Back to Vincent. Pass to Hatchimal. Five on the clock. Aton. Pass to James. Misses the three on the wing. Brooks. Back to Green. And a lot of contact on that one. So he’ll shoot two here. Ruy Himura picks one up. Green such a hard cover because he’s always in attack mode. Disruptive to the defense and makes it hard to guard him. This is his first free throw of the game and last season he was successful. 81% of the time when he went to the line. So, he didn’t waste a lot of opportunities. Yeah, those were fine numbers he posted um at the line. It was hard to find fault with anything he did from the strike. Austin Reeves is checked in for Gabe Vincent. So, he makes one of two as the second one misses. Boy, I believe Green has all the tools to be a phenomenal score in this league. Just needs to continue to develop. Pass to Hatchima. Some nice passing here by Los Angeles. LeBron with a screen on Green. Great focus from LeBron. Hits it and still gets it to go. He’s used to sharing the love. Exceptional timing on that pass. [Applause] Now here’s Booker outside O’Neal. Back to Booker. Panic with the steel. Hatimura down low. Guarded by O’Neal. Shoots from the right clock. Shooting foul. As the whistle blows, he’ll shoot two free throws. Strong take by Hachim Moore. He is built to do damage in there. Lakers shooting their fourth and fifth attempts at the free throw line tonight. [Applause] And the first one at the line is good. [Applause] And that one goes in. Two from the line that time. And here’s O’Neal. He’ll bring it up for the Suns. Six points for him. There’s a screen by Williams. O’Neal drives in. Here’s Brooks. The shot drops. His shooting percentage improves. He’s three for seven now with that basket. I I love the ball movement there. He put that on a silver platter. Just served him up. There’s 25 seconds left now here in the second. Oh, got LeBron outside. [Applause] 11 seconds left in the first half of the game. Reeves in the corner. And again, the Lakers no good. And that’ll do it for the first half of competitive game so far. Los Angeles on top, leading by three. And we’ll be back right after halftime to get the third quarter underway. [Applause] We’ve got second half action for you. And if the next couple quarters are similar to the first, this one could go down to the last possession. You look at James. What a contribution. He’s done a fantastic job of finding open space to operate with within the first few quarters. And you know what? It helped that they had a few guys with very hot hands on the perimeter, too. [Applause] O’Neal is out there with Mark Williams. Then it’s Green. Then there’s Devin Booker. And it’s Brooks. And at the three, the small forward. That’s who’s out there for Phoenix. Offensive rebound. Williams finds Booker. Booker going to work inside. It’s a great move and he catches the defense completely off guard. Yeah, if that’s a harbinger of things to come, he’s looking at having a very big second half. Oh, Aton in position throws down the alleyoop slam. And how about the incredible timing on that alleyoop? He absolutely hammered it down. Well, I tell you what, that’s the play we’ll remember if they can put together a little surge to break this game open. Now here’s Brooks. Pass to Booker. uses the glass to finish the way. Booker’s got eight. And showing off a little with the handles there. Man, is Booker fun to watch. And for those of you turning in, we’re about a minute into the second half. And as the days and months go by, Greg, it still may take us some time to get over the shock of last season’s trade of Luca Donic. And we know the question marks as far as conditioning and defense that led to it, but hard to bet against a talent of his caliber. Suns by four on the wing. Booker guarded by Donic. [Applause] Lakers shooting here about 46% for the game. [Applause] LeBron outside. LeBron is doubled. Down to five on the shot clock. Shakes him with the drive. It’s James charging hard down the lane. An expiring clock. Nothing new for James. He just calmly knocks down the shot he takes. [Applause] And now around two minutes gone by in this half. Brooks with the bounce pass. Here’s Green. Make it five for 10 with him in that bucket. Well, that time he got the defense off balance with the welltimed pump fake. Nice work. [Applause] Lakers leading by four. [Applause] LeBron outside to the wing on the left. Aimura kicks to LeBron. Some nice passing here by Los Angeles. Just five to shoot. Eighton sets the pick for LeBron. And again, it’s the Lakers from deep. Yet another stellar night for LeBron offensively so far. In some ways, he’s just unstoppable. And timeout called by Jordan. Coach needs a moment to talk things over. [Applause] Right around 3 minutes into the second half, there’s O’Neal with the three. is rebounded by Donic and close to making the defense pay for the lack coverage that time. Hatchima kicks to James over Brooks and it’s Phoenix with the rebound. Booker with no one around. Good. Great play by Green to set it up. And you can see how quick Booker is to react. No hesitation on that jump shot. Los Angeles leading by four on the wing. James Brooks covering James the bounce pass. James sets a screen for Reeves. Back to James. James gets inside and finishes. Well, you better stop the ball, especially when it’s LeBron James with it. That guy is pretty good. Brooker the pass to Brooks. No good from outside. Lakers have gone five and six so far from the field in the second half. Tremendous efficiency. Here’s Hatchima. Great positioning on the putback. Eighton’s got the lead up to eight now for the Lakers. A towering presence on the offensive glass. Aiden uses his height well to keep possessions alive. Williams looking over the floor. Williams a screen on Reeds. Green dishes to Williams. Just two to shoot. And here’s Booker from the arc. A rebound by the Lakers. Eightton’s got 12 rebounds here tonight. Big time effort. Here’s Hackima. A chance to extend the lead to double digits, but it’s no good. Pass to Green. Back to Brooks. Here’s Booker. Shoots over Donic. Phoenix no good that time either. And so James will bring it up for the Lakers. They lead by eight. That’s the biggest of the game. That’s good from Donic on the assist by LeBron. Donic has got a pair of threes now here in the third for the Lakers. And timeout called by Jordan Aut. He’s going to take a minute here to get things straightened out. You look at James. What a contribution. Boy, he’s been killing him all night. And the defense looks like it’s practically packed it in. Heat. [Applause] Heat. [Applause] [Applause] Now Brooks. He has six. A kick out to O’Neal. Phoenix no good that time either. You know what though? Sometimes you can be too open. I think it may have surprised him and that’s why he missed. LeBron with the bucket. Well, that’s exactly where LeBron wants to go. almost unstoppable once he gets the ball in the painted area. [Applause] Suns trail by 13. We’re now joined by our sideline reporter Ally Leforce. Ally, it’s all yours. Hey guys. Well, a lot of French players are coming into the league and Rudy Goar said it’s amazing. The first ones like Tony Parker and Boris, they paved the way. Now French kids aren’t scared to dream about the NBA. They have role models that they can look up to and try to follow, guys. Mercy. Alli Leforce with the report. Hey Ally, thanks. They grabbed their own miss. Williams has a screen for Green. They can’t stop the run with that one. Poor defense for sure, but the offense was worse. Pass to Reeves. Shoots a fader. Here’s Hatchima. Good. And the assist goes to James. LeBron’s got his fourth assist in this one. Well-rounded effort and and they show no signs of letting up. Almost no holes in their performance tonight. They’ve been tremendous. The real come at us and we’re coming right back at you. A little back and forth from long range. I love it. That’s a terrific answer there. Los Angeles leading by 13 over to the left wing. Here’s LeBron. Basket is good. He’ll get a chance for one more at the line. The defender gets caught in a bad position there. LeBron so powerful. Powerful enough to convert through contact. And a chance for just a second now to check out the scoring breakdown for the Lakers. I mean, they’ve been stepping it up in terms of their shooting from distance and the confidence has been there all game long, leaving the defense to scramble. You know, another thing that stands out to me is their passing in this game. I mean, they’ve done a tremendous job sharing the ball and setting each other up for success. And here is Green. 15 points in the game. [Music] Outside Williams. Back to Green. Six on the shot clock and it’s Eightton with the rebound. Eightton’s inside and Aton throws it down. Great game for him. Double double now. 10 points and 14 rebounds. And how about the communication between teammates on that alley? And that’s what you need to pull that thing off. Boy, both ends of that play, guys, were fantastic. Now here’s Green. Brooks. That’s a two-pointer. And it’s Eightton with the rebound. Eighton’s got 15 rebounds here tonight. Yeah, you know, LeBron plays a very mistakefree game usually in the open court and when he’s out on the break, the points are almost a guarantee. [Applause] And so Allen will bring it up now for Phoenix. Outside Green. Will it go? It’s hauled in by Los Angeles. Eightton’s got his 16th rebound on the night. Pass to LeBron. No good with the triple. Suns free trail by 20. High arcing shot. Brooks kicks to O’Neal. Williams a screen on Smart. Shot clock at five. A kick out to O’Neal. Phoenix no good that time either. He is singlehandedly dropping the temperature in here with that cold streak. And he’s got to find other ways to contribute then because his shot making is not happening right now. and every miss finds its way to his hands. What an impressive performance. Tell you what, those are crazy numbers, guys. I mean, believe me, I was a good rebounder in my day. It is not easy to corral that many boards in one night. Off target from outside. And there have been some terrible shot choices here, Kev. That’s not a good look at all. Stolen by Brooks. The finish and the dunk by Brooks. That’s what Brooks likes. Power hoops. [Applause] Lakers leading by 18. [Applause] James in the post. Brooks on him. James with the bucket. And with the lead, I like the strategy here. Continue to get the ball to guys who can do something with it. If it’s working, keep working it. That’s what I say. Keep the pressure on them. Brooks finds Allen. He takes it in. lays it up off the glass and and that’s his strong suit, the ability to find his way through the D and finish at the rim. And so JJ Reick will call a timeout. He’s going to have a discussion on the sideline. [Applause] Heat. [Applause] Heat. [Applause] [Applause] Some changes. is for the Lakers. Maxi Cleba, he’s checked in for DeAndre Aton. Jake Laravia comes in for LeBron. And it’s Austin Reeves in for Marcus Smart. There’s 154 left in the third. Reeves left side puts the move on, jams it in off the great move. You talk about taking flight. That’s exactly what he did there. And he made it look easy. Suns trail by 20. Many players Clark can drive in and step back, but few do both as well as Luca Donic. Yeah, I agree with you there, man. He’s special in that regard. And sometimes he can do both of those things in the same play, even multiple times. I mean, he’s a ball dominant guy, but he’s got special scoring ability. His footwork is a big part of it. His ball handling and his size. I mean, his size is deceptive and I think underlooked sometimes in how he’s able to do what he does with the basketball. Here’s Booker. He’s got 11. 102 left in the third. Unloads from nine. Shot is good off the back rim and in. Booker’s got nine points now in just the second half. Loravia with it. He’s got five. Here’s Donic. The shot misses. Good D by Booker. Suns trail by 16. Dunn kicks to Booker. That’s in coming off an assist from Dunn. 15 points for Devin Booker. And that’s lethal. I love how Booker’s eyes light up when he gets a mid-range opportunity. The three for Donic. The offensive rebound. Aravia passes to Donic. Five to shoot. Los Angeles with another miss. Booker inside and the dunk by Booker. That should give him a nice little jolt. Ah, yeah, it has to. They need a jolt, G. And you know, that’s exactly what happens when you don’t settle. That’s the result. Tremendous effort and a big time finish there. And here at the end of the third quarter, it’s a double- digit ball game. Lakers lead by 12. And we’re coming back in just a moment. Get ready for the fourth quarter of action when we return. [Applause] And it’s time now to bring you our State Farm assist of the game. And how about the floor general ship right here? I mean, showing us why they’re always in good hands when he’s the man in charge. Well, clearly he’s the guy that stirs the drink for him, and that’s how he does it with his dynamite passing skills. And there have been two very different performances from these teams today. As we get going in quarter number four, taking a look at Los Angeles, they’ve got Smart. Axi Clea is out there with Jared Vanderbilt. Then it’s Austin Reeds and it’s Larabia in at the small forward position. Suns trail by 12. Allen outside. Pass to Richards. Good ball movement here by the Suns. Allen shot is off and for the Lakers. They’re shooting 49% on the game. They’ll take that. Smart with this screen on Allen. Back to Smart. Shoots over Richards. Smart misses. And here’s Don bringing it up for the Suns here in the fourth quarter. Their defense has been very strong allowing no baskets. Los Angeles leading by 12 pass to Cleba and the officials will call the illegal screen right there. And guys, point of emphasis for the league is to really crack down on illegal screens. Yeah, you know, he might have gotten away with that a few years ago, but not anymore. No way. Now you’ve got to be stationary on those screens. No extra hips or elbows or they’ll call it Allen against Reeves. Pass to Booker. A basket good off the assist from Allen. Booker’s got 19 points. And we see this so often from Booker because he has the green light to take any shot he wants. Here’s Smart. Takes it inside. Here’s Cleba. And again, the Lakers no good. Suns trail by 10. Dunn dishes to Booker. There’s the screen. Down low. Kicks it out to Allen and it’s off from three-point range. for Los Angeles. They’ve gone 0 of3 to start the fourth quarter. A steal. Just a little under two and a half minutes of pass now here in the fourth and Jared Vanderbilt gets the whistle that time. That’s foul number two for him. Mark Williams has checked in for the Suns. And then for Los Angeles, Dalton K comes in for Austin Reed. And Donic is subbed in for Smart. Booker outside. Pocket six. Allen outside the three-pointer. No good. Lakers leading by 10. Here’s Donic. Donic converts inside. And that’s the weight room strength of Dantic right there. Fully displayed. And just about 3 minutes through the fourth quarter here. And Booker kicks to Dun. Allen left side. [Applause] Here’s Booker. That basket good off the assist from Allen. Allen’s got three assists in the game. And JJ Reick is called timeout. There was no hesitating. He wants to talk to the team right now. [Applause] Yeah. It’s going to take constant maintain. [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] It’s going to take a steady maint. [Music] And Phoenix making a change here. Goodwin’s checked in. Now we’ll hear from Ally Leforce and she’s got a story for us, an update. Ally, thanks guys. I got a chance to hear what JJ Reic was saying to the team. Coach had a direct message for the team saying no matter the lead, no NBA game is ever over. Do not let your guard down. We’ll see if they hold on. All right, all thank you for that. Well, if you’re just tuning in, welcome. We’ve got about three and a half minutes gone here in the fourth quarter. Stop that shot and that one comes up a bit short and it’s Goodwin with the ball for Phoenix to the inside. Here’s Igodaro. Good on the shot and that shave the lead to single digits. He’s doing his best to carry him fellas, but he can only do so much. Things would be different for them if he was getting a little more help. Lakers leading by eight. Pass to Vanderbilt. Here’s connect. back to Vanderbilt. Shot clock at five. [Applause] Near the three-point line, it’s Donic. Gets the jumper from the corner to fall. Donic has got 10 points in just the second half. Number three, Booker. Booker with a three. He is a knockdown shooter. And textbook mechanics make it look like it’s going in every time. Booker. Unreal. And here’s Donic from the arc. That doesn’t go either for Don. And the great shooters know when they got enough opening to go for the three. I didn’t think it was a bad choice on that possession. And here’s Booker from the AR. The Lakers with the rebound. He was wide open. That missed clearly on him. Bounce pass connect out to the right wing. Here’s Vanderbilt. The shots good on the assist by Donic. And the Lakers lead by nine. Donic so multiaceted. A stat sheet stuffer. Supreme. He does everything including dropping dimes. Williams a screen on Donic to the middle. It’s intercepted. Here’s connect defended by Booker. Williams with the block. Donic against Booker. Fantastic finish by Booker. And you know, defenses try to get physical with Booker and now he’s used to that. He he just plays through the contact. [Applause] And the Lakers with possession here. pass to Vanderbilt. Now connect back to Vanderbilt and he lays it straight in. Vanderbilt’s got four points now in the quarter. Gets it inside and goes to work. That’s how it’s done. Dunn kicks to Booker. from 13 and good. Got the friendly bounce off the right side of the rim. Booker’s got 28 points for the game. This is what he does. Booker an aggressive scorer who doesn’t take any possessions off. Clever with it. Williams picks him up. Here’s Donic. That’s good from 17 ft away. He knows he can get his shot anytime he wants and he also knows he has the green light. Suns trail by nine. [Applause] Goodwin feeling it out. Here’s Igodaro. Basket counts. Great use of the screen. That’s how you practice it and draw it up. Lakers have gone five of 11 from the field in the fourth quarter. Now connect. out to Donic. Six to shoot. Lets the three fly. Rebound by Williams. Williams has got his 18th rebound here tonight. All over the place. Dunn passes the Good one outside. Williams. Pass to Booker. Lets it go from deep. Rebounded by the Lakers. Vanderbilt’s got six rebounds now in the game. Arabia passes to Vanderbilt. Now here’s Clea. Nice ball movement here by the Lakers. Here’s connect that three off the mark. Suns trail by seven. Done outside. Booker outside launches a three. Clea with the rebound. Clea’s got his fifth rebound in this one. Lorabia with the screen. The three for Donic. Egarero grabs the rebound. The Suns have gone through the fourth quarter shooting 50%. Seven of 14. Goodwin finds Booker. Here’s Igodaro. It’s hauled in by Los Angeles. They led the game at one point by 20 inside. Vanderbilt misses. And for the Suns, they’re shooting about 47% here in the fourth. Donic against Booker. Now here’s Donic. Puts up a three. No good. It pains me to say it, but he’s hurting his team right now. Apparently, he still has the green light because he’s jacking it up. Outside Booker now. Williams outside Booker. D looking over the floor. He misses the put back. Lakers leading by seven. And here is Donic. Clea sets the screen for Donic. And he does not hit. Well, another 10 cut moment here cuz he continues to miss shot after shot from three-point range. This is not a fourth quarter. He’s going to want to remember. Vanderbilt rips down the board. The Lakers with the ball. They led the game at one point by 20. Donic. Donic gets it to go inside. Nice work from Donic doing a good job finding a way to get it done inside. And timeout called by Jordan. Coach is going to talk some things over with the team might be seeing something to adjust. Heat. Heat. [Applause] making substitutions here. brushes off the contact and hits. And you know, you look at Dantic for a forward. This guy handles the ball extremely well. He’s terrific at creating for himself off the dribble. [Applause] And Booker will bring it up for the Phoenix Suns. They trail by 11. Yeah, easy call. Yeah, you can hear the smack all the way over here where we are. [Applause] [Applause] He hits the first one and that brings them to within 10. An elite offensive threat. Booker continues to try and find ways to improve his game. [Applause] Both free throws good from Booker. [Applause] Lakers leading by nine. Go James outside. Booker against Donic for three. It’s good. And and so only one team answered the bell tonight, guys. Not a monster blowout by any means, but still a double- digit victory for the Lakers. You know, it’s tough to put your finger on the deciding factor in this one, but I’d say that the shooting accuracy made the difference. I think you’re on point, Kevin. They got better looks, and that tends to lead to a better field goal percentage. And one of the key components to this victory, if not the biggest, was the incredible performance for LeBron. You look at the energy he brought on both ends of the floor, and it’s easy to see why he was a difference maker. saw the opportunity to put this away and did not turn it down. And you know, this run shows what kind of attitude this team has. I mean, the win is there. Go get it, Booker. Count it. [Applause] Here’s Dunic. It’s nine seconds separating the shot clock and game clock. Here’s Aton. Now James. Now Donic. James sets the screen for Donic. Just five to shoot. Misses the three. [Applause] So, it’s Los Angeles winning this one easily. They came in here and took care of business like they were the home team. And Kevin, how about the mental toughness that this group showed? They they were never rattled at all by the opposing fans. And let’s hear from Ally Lefor who joins us from the sidelines. Ally Luca, you played well tonight and your team got the win. Those two usually go together, but what else made the difference? Yeah, I think we had a had a great game. You know, we had a I think it was a great game today. You know, we step up together, play good defense, and it was a great win. Team defense goes a long way. Thanks, Luca. And as always, Ally, thank you so much. And that’s going to do it tonight, folks, for our broadcast. Alongside Clark Kellogg, Greg Anthony, and Ally Leforce, I’m Kevin Harland, and as always, we appreciate you joining us right here tonight on 2K. And as we leave you, let’s take a look at our player of the game, LeBron James.
NBA LIVE! Los Angeles Lakers vs Phoenix Suns LIVE | NBA PRESEASON | Oct. 3, 2025 | 2K26
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