Phoenix trailed 99-79 with 7:48 left but rallied to take a 114-113 lead with 12.2 seconds remaining on a Dillon Brooks 3-pointer over James, News.Az reports, citing ESPN.
James made contact with Brooks after the shot, and Brooks then bumped James while running back down the court, drawing his second technical foul and an automatic ejection. The technical gave the Lakers a free throw, but James missed the attempt.
On the next possession, James was fouled by Devin Booker while attempting a 3-pointer with 3.9 seconds left. The 40-year-old James, who finished with 26 points, missed the first free throw but converted the final two to put the Lakers ahead 115-114.
Phoenix had one last chance, but Grayson Allen’s off-balance shot at the buzzer missed the mark.
Earlier, Jaxson Hayes powered home a dunk over Oso Ighodaro to give Los Angeles a 79-77 lead with 2:24 remaining in the third quarter. The play capped a dominant stretch in which the Lakers went on a 24-0 run over an eight-minute span across the third and fourth quarters, building a 95-77 advantage.
Deandre Ayton added 20 points and 13 rebounds for the Lakers against his former team. Ayton spent his first five NBA seasons with the Suns after being selected No. 1 overall in the 2018 draft.
Los Angeles recorded a season-high 24 offensive rebounds, helping compensate for a difficult shooting night. Doncic went 7-of-25 from the field and 2-of-14 from beyond the arc.
Booker led Phoenix with 27 points in his return after missing three games with a groin injury. The four-time All-Star also went 13-of-16 from the free-throw line. The Suns have now lost six of their last nine games.
Up next:
Lakers: Visit Utah on Thursday night.
Suns: Host Golden State on Thursday night.
