On Phoenix’s final possession, Allen drove into the paint before kicking the ball out to Collin Gillespie in the corner. Gillespie quickly moved it along to an unguarded O'Neale, who calmly buried the game-winning shot from beyond the arc, News.Az reports, citing ESPN.
The Lakers had one last opportunity, but Austin Reaves missed an open corner 3-pointer at the buzzer, sealing a tense finish. Luka Doncic led Los Angeles with a standout performance of 41 points, eight rebounds, and eight assists.
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The closing minutes were packed with momentum swings. Trailing by 12 with 6:28 remaining, the Lakers rallied to tie the contest at 108 on Reaves’ 3-pointer with one minute left. O'Neale answered with a layup following an offensive rebound to put Phoenix ahead 110-108. However, LeBron James responded with a tip-in on the next possession, knotting the score at 110 with 22.7 seconds to play.
Phoenix had earlier erased a 13-point deficit early in the third quarter and entered the fourth tied at 80. Allen was instrumental in the comeback, scoring 16 of his 28 points in the third quarter, including four 3-pointers.
Gillespie also delivered in the final period, knocking down four 3-pointers in the fourth quarter and finishing with 21 points. The Suns were efficient from long range, converting 22 of their 50 attempts (44%) from 3-point distance.
Los Angeles came out strong in the second half, opening with an 11-0 run to take a 60-49 lead. The surge was highlighted by DeAndre Ayton’s alley-oop dunk off a sharp pass from Doncic.
The victory improved Phoenix to 2-1 since the All-Star break. The Suns were without their top two scorers — All-Star guard Devin Booker (hip strain) and forward Dillon Brooks (fractured hand). The Booker-Brooks tandem averages roughly 45 points per game, and the team has struggled offensively in their absence. Thursday’s win marked the first time in five games that Phoenix surpassed 100 points in regulation.
Up next, the Lakers travel to face Golden State on Saturday night, while the Suns visit Sacramento on Tuesday night.
