LOS ANGELES – After beating the Lakers 114-104 on Tuesday without their top scorer and All-Star Devin Booker on the roster, the Phoenix Suns said they put the stamp on the legitimacy of their season.
“I think Jae Crowder said it best: We improved tonight,” Suns coach Monty Williams said after the game. “You gain confidence when a guy like Book doesn’t play or throw himself and you can take a game out on the road at the end of a trip. This is a recipe for mailing and this group has shown a lot of resistance. But that was a big win for the character and we got better.
“I think we played well tonight, but we probably had more confidence that we could play a game without Devin or Chris. [Paul] saving the day. “
Booker was thrown because he picked up two technical errors, remaining 7:10 in the third quarter and Phoenix advancing 70-63. Booker had 17 points at the time to lead the Suns.
“Booker received his first technical foul for ongoing complaints and then received his second technical foul and, as a rule, was eliminated for directing profane language to a game official,” said crew chief Marc Davis. , for ESPN, as part of a group report after the game.
The Lakers, playing without Anthony Davis for an eighth straight game due to injuries to his right leg and also missing from starting center Marc Gasol (health and safety protocols) and Kyle Kuzma (bruised right heel), saw ejection as a chance to return to the contest. But the Suns doubled their lead from seven to 14 on the three-minute mark in the fourth quarter without Booker.
“I don’t know if it was a big effect, other than the fact that we felt we had a chance to win a game we’re in,” Lakers coach Frank Vogel said. “It wasn’t played that way.”
The win ended a 3-0 trip for Phoenix and improved the Suns record to 15-3 in the last 18 games. They also jumped to LA in the standings, finishing 2nd in the Western Conference with the victory.
“We’re just trying to improve every game, but today we honestly felt we’ve improved,” said Crowder, who, with 15 points in 5-of-8, was one of five Suns to score in double figures. . “We went into the locker room and told the boys that. Booker left in the third quarter and we could have folded or challenged, and we decided to step up.”
Phoenix’s Bank outperformed LA reserves 38-27, and the Suns pulled 16-for-29 from line 3 (55.2%) compared to the Lakers 11-for-31 from deep (35.5%).
“I can’t be too happy on the farm, man,” said Mikal Bridges, the Suns striker. “We know what we are doing; we know we’re getting better. We just need to keep progressing and improving.
“Any team can be defeated, and if we relax, there are a lot of tough teams. Even teams with great records will play hard, so we have to keep improving, not relax and keep playing.”
Phoenix has one more game before the All-Star break at home against the Golden State Warriors on Thursday.