The Los Angeles Lakers saw their seven-game win streak crumble Monday night at Crypto.com Arena, overwhelmed 125–108 by a Phoenix Suns team that played faster, sharper, and far more connected—even after losing Devin Booker early to a groin injury. Luka Dončić delivered 38 points and 11 rebounds, including a blistering 20-point first quarter, but the Lakers’ collective effort unraveled soon after.
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Turnovers and Transition Trouble Define the Collapse
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The turning point came in the second quarter, when a wave of live-ball turnovers allowed Phoenix to seize control. Dončić was pressured into nine turnovers, and the Lakers as a whole coughed it up 21 times—mistakes the Suns converted into 32 points.
LeBron James didn’t mince words:
“Turnovers. Transition points… pretty much all pick-sixes,” James said. “They not only turned us over, they were able to convert.”
Los Angeles had more turnovers (21) than assists (18), and the 28–2 fast-break disparity underscored how dramatically the energy gap favored Phoenix.
Suns Role Players Take Center Stage
Booker’s exit could have shaken Phoenix, but instead it sparked two career-best performances. Dillon Brooks bullied and attacked his way to 33 points, igniting the Suns at every turn. Collin Gillespie poured in 28 points and knocked down eight threes, becoming the unexpected closer in the fourth quarter.
Brooks embraced the moment—and the stage.
“There’s always celebrities and stars and it makes you want to show out,” he said.
His battles with LeBron James reignited, adding fuel to a game already brimming with edge.
Redick: Lakers ‘Got Exposed’
Head coach JJ Redick pointed directly to effort as the root issue.
“If you don’t play hard against that team, you’re going to get exposed,” Redick said.
The Lakers were slow getting back, slow rotating, and slow reacting—problems compounded by playing on the second night of a back-to-back, yet still avoidable in Redick’s eyes.
Even Dončić acknowledged the self-inflicted damage:
“That was my fault… No way I can have nine turnovers in a game,” he said.
Austin Reaves echoed the sentiment.
“They played harder than us. That can’t happen.”
Looking Ahead
The Lakers now head into a three-game road trip with a clearer picture of their biggest vulnerability: lapses in effort erase every advantage. Monday’s loss didn’t expose a lack of talent—it exposed what happens when a talented team stops playing like one.
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