PHOENIX — Austin Reeves returned from a left calf strain that sidelined him for three games, but LakersThe second-leading scorer did nothing to correct the team's most glaring weakness.
The Lakers' defense collapsed defeat 132-108 at the Suns on Tuesday at the Mortgage Matchup Center, giving up a season-high 59% field goal percentage and tying his record for the most points allowed this season. Thanks to a combined 17 of 29 shooting from star guard Devin Booker (21 points) and Dillon Brooks (25 points), the Suns easily surpassed the 56.5 percent shooting they made against the Lakers on Dec. 1.
“The theme of our team again is young teams that are moving and we just can't move,” said coach JJ Redick, whose team is 1-2 against the Suns (16-13). “So we're kind of stuck in the mud.”
The Lakers (19-9) remain in the top half of the Western Conference standings, but despite crushing losses to Atlanta, Oklahoma City and San Antonio, Los Angeles clings to a plus-1.1 point differential. They lost back-to-back games for the first time Tuesday and limped into the Christmas Day decider against the Houston Rockets with a rash of injuries.
Game without Luka Doncicwho suffers day by day from a bruise on his left leg which he received Saturday vs. Clippers, LeBron James led the Lakers with 23 points on 7-of-14 shooting. Deandre Ayton had a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds, and Reeves came off the bench for the first time in two seasons to score 17 points with two assists and three turnovers.
Redick said Reaves had no official minutes limit after a week-long absence, but the team would monitor his workload “in real time.”
“It's hard for me to start with the rotation that Bron has and stay at the 20-25 minute mark,” said Reeves, who played 21 minutes and 46 seconds. “So [coming off the bench] grew up during filming. I said I was open to anything. It was definitely weird coming off the bench, but at the end of the day, it’s basketball.”
Calf injuries, even minor ones, have become a major problem in the NBA, with three stars suffering Achilles tendon ruptures during last season's playoffs. Reaves, who led the team early in the season when James and Doncic were out with injuries, led the team in minutes per game. His 775 minutes on Tuesday were second on the team behind Rui Hachimura. The Japanese forward missed the second game in a row due to pain in his right groin.
Lakers star LeBron James will take a shot against the Suns on Tuesday night. James finished with 23 points.
(Rick Scuteri/Associated Press)
When asked if Reeves needed a physical reset after such a heavy workload, Redick admitted that a break may have been necessary.
Reeves looked out of sorts when he entered the field with 5:23 left in the first quarter. He fumbled the pass on his first touch of the screen. When he tried to bounce through the tiny windows, the ball would bounce or deflect. He was attacked defensively and gave up consecutive layups to Suns guard Jamari Bouyea.
Bouye scored 14 points off the bench, including a layup over Marcus Smart, who failed to get charged in the third quarter. As Smart keyed in on the referees, Bouye didn't hesitate to leap over the Lakers' defense and score. The Lakers trailed by as many as 29 points in the third quarter, and Redick calmly waved the white flag with 5:22 left in the third quarter when he put backup forward Maxi Kleber and rookie Ada Thiero on the floor.
The Phoenix crowd began to gather in groups with seven minutes remaining as the lead reached 30.
Even the courtside seats were empty in the final minutes. Brooks took advantage, sitting in a courtside seat on the baseline as Thiero went to the free throw line with 1:16 left. Brooks waved his arms to distract himself. Tiero split his two strikes.
Etc.
Center Jackson Hayes left the game with left ankle soreness in the second quarter and did not return. Redick said it was an aggravation of a previous injury suffered last week.
