Phoenix Suns (34-26) beat Los Angeles Lakers (34-24) 113-110 at home on Thursday, February 26 in a game that stayed within 5 points at every quarter break.
The game, quarter by quarter
The Lakers had the better start, winning the first 27-22 to lead by 5 after one. The Suns pulled even with a 27-22 second quarter, sending the game to halftime tied at 49.
The teams matched each other with 31 points apiece in the third quarter, so nothing separated them entering the fourth. The Suns took the fourth 33-30; the Suns finished the job for a 113-110 regulation win.
The edge that mattered
The Suns grabbed 34.1% of their own misses, while the Lakers recovered 27.8%. In a 3-point game, the second chances kept adding up.
The Lakers did win one battle, the free-throw line: FT rate of 30.7 against 12.6. The Suns made up for it elsewhere.
At roughly 89 possessions per team, the Suns produced 126.5 points per 100 possessions to 123.2 for the Lakers.
The Suns' reserves also made a difference, outscoring the opposing bench 33-16.
Who made the difference
Luka Doncic was the game's biggest individual force for LAL: 41 pts, 8 reb, 8 ast on 12-21 shooting. His Game Score of 37.3 led everyone. His team was +9 with him on the floor.
Grayson Allen led the Suns with 28 pts, 1 reb, 6 ast on 9-24 shooting, good for a 18.8 Game Score.
What it means
The pre-game Win Meter had it close to a coin flip, at about 64% for the Suns.
Across the last 7 meetings in our records, Phoenix Suns lead 4-3.
The Suns are now 34-26, and the Lakers are 34-24. The Suns last five before this game: L-L-W-L-L.
Written automatically by Tip Off Live software from box score data. Ratings and probabilities are our own model estimates.