Lakers at Suns
The sinking Los Angeles Lakers have lost 11 of their last 12 games and things could get worse as they play their next seven games on the road. Los Angeles begins the excursion with Wednesday’s visit to the Phoenix Suns, and the Lakers need to shore up a defense that has allowed an average of 120.6 points while losing their last five games. Phoenix has lost three consecutive outings but has beaten the Lakers twice this season, including a 117-90 home win on Dec. 23.
The Suns are just 2-5 since guard Eric Bledsoe was lost with a knee injury. The double point-guard experiment of Bledsoe and Goran Dragic was a huge success in Phoenix’s strong season and now the Suns are attempting to adjust to a more traditional offense. Los Angeles was dominated on the boards 62-39 in the 27-point loss to the Suns and Phoenix’s rebounding total is still the highest in the NBA this season. The Lakers lost to the Cleveland Cavaliers 120-118 on Tuesday.
TV: 9 p.m. ET, TWC SportsNet (Los Angeles), FSN Arizona (Phoenix)
ABOUT THE LAKERS (14-24): Los Angeles keeps fading down the Western Conference standings and is now ahead of only the Sacramento Kings and Utah Jazz. Nick Young (28 points) and Jodie Meeks (26) both recorded season-best point totals against the Cavaliers but the thin roster continues to get outplayed. The injury list includes guards Kobe Bryant, Steve Nash, Steve Blake and Jordan Farmar as well as swingman Xavier Henry, who is about a week away from returning from a knee injury. “It’s frustrating but we’ve still got to get up and play basketball,” Young said after the Cleveland loss. “Nobody wants to get embarrassed. You’ve got to still take pride in that Lakers uniform.”
ABOUT THE SUNS (21-16): Bledsoe will be sidelined at least another month and Dragic touched on the challenge of playing without him after Monday’s overtime loss to the New York Knicks. “It’s a little bit harder now with Eric out,” Dragic said. “It’s much easier when you’re playing together and you have two ballhandlers. But it is what it is and I have to keep my head up.” Dragic had 28 points against the Knicks and has topped 20 points in seven of the last nine games. He is averaging a career-best 19.3 points to go with an assists output of six per game and figures to draw consideration for a Western Conference All-Star roster spot.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Phoenix has won five straight home games against the Lakers.
2. Los Angeles PG Kendall Marshall is averaging 12 assists over the last six games as he goes up against the organization that drafted him in 2012 and later gave up on him.
3. The Suns are 18-5 when scoring 100 or more points.