Lakers rout Suns to secure playoff home-court edge
LeBron James delivered an outstanding performance with 28 points, 12 assists, and six rebounds as the Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Phoenix Suns 101-73 on Friday night, securing home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs.
Luke Kennard contributed 19 points, while Rui Hachimura added 13 for the Lakers, who are set to finish either third or fourth in the Western Conference despite ending the regular season without injured stars Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves, News.Az reports, citing AP.
Los Angeles (52-29) trails the third-place Denver Nuggets (53-28) by one game with one game remaining in the regular season, but the Lakers hold the tiebreaker advantage over Denver.
The Lakers secured their second consecutive win and their 15th victory in 19 games, powered by a vintage showing from the 41-year-old James. He displayed no signs of fatigue on the second night of a back-to-back, during which he amassed 54 points on 63.6% shooting (21-for-33).
James also reached a major milestone in the first half, recording the 12,000th assist of his career and becoming just the fourth player in NBA history to achieve that feat.
The league’s all-time leading scorer put up 14 points in the first quarter and added six points along with seven assists in the second half, ensuring the Lakers maintained a comfortable lead throughout.
Dillon Brooks led the Suns with 12 points. Phoenix remains seventh in the Western Conference standings and is locked into the top position in the play-in tournament.
Devin Booker did not play for the Suns, resting his injured right ankle ahead of the postseason, while Jalen Green also sat out due to soreness in his right knee. Collin Gillespie and Grayson Allen appeared in the first half but did not return after halftime in what became Phoenix’s lowest-scoring game of the season.
The Lakers continue to deal with significant injuries, but Marcus Smart made his return after missing nine games, finishing with six points and seven assists against Phoenix.
James was instrumental early, scoring or assisting on nine of the Lakers’ first 10 field goals as they surged to a 16-point lead.
Up next, the Suns will travel to face the Oklahoma City Thunder on Sunday, while the Lakers will host the Utah Jazz the same day.
News.Az
By Nijat Babayev
