LeBron Lakers Fall to Suns, Blazers Demolished by Thunder

The Los Angeles Lakers continued their disappointing season with a 127-109 loss to the Phoenix Suns on Thursday. The Suns capitalized on strong performances from Bradley Beal, who scored 37 points, and Devin Booker, who added 31. Beal, in particular, impressed with a remarkable 80% three-point shooting ratio, contributing 24 points from beyond the arc.

Coach Frank Vogel emphasized the importance of three-pointers before the game, and the players delivered, securing the win. Beal’s stellar performance was noteworthy, especially considering his previous struggles with injuries that limited him to six appearances in the first 30 games of the season.

Vogel expressed satisfaction with the team’s offensive performance, stating, “I thought the whole game was a positive step in the direction of how we want to play offensively.”

Beal shared his approach, saying, “It’s something that I’ve been trying to kick myself to do the last five years of my career, to shoot eight-to-10 3-pointers a game.”

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Booker credited teammate Kevin Durant for encouraging him to play confidently, stating, “Having a mate like (Durant) out there to give you that much confidence and let you rock out is huge.” Durant, who scored 18 points, emphasized the importance of team aggression and making the right plays.

LeBron James, who scored 10 points with nine assists and five rebounds, acknowledged the Suns’ awareness of the Lakers’ strategy, stating, “I thought they were very aware of what we wanted to do, plus having their ‘Big Three’ helped as well.”

In other NBA games on Thursday, the Portland Trail Blazers suffered a 139-77 defeat against the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Milwaukee Bucks dominated the Boston Celtics with a 135-102 victory, the Dallas Mavericks narrowly won against the New York Knicks 128-124, and the Brooklyn Nets fell to the Cleveland Cavaliers 111-102 in the 2024 NBA Paris Game.