Suns at Lakers
The Lakers appeared to be at a low point after an embarrassing loss at Orlando on Wednesday, but back-to-back wins at Brooklyn and Oklahoma City allowed them to finish up a winning five-game road trip and head home with some momentum. The Lakers will try to push their winning streak to three in a row when they host the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday.
Los Angeles is trying to play a more physical game with Julius Randle and Brook Lopez doing the bruising up front, and the two combined for 39 points in the 108-104 triumph at Oklahoma City on Sunday. "We got pushed around again today, which is fine, as long as we pushed back," Lakers coach Luke Walton told reporters. "That was the difference. We pushed back tonight. It's a physical game and it should be like that." The Suns haven't been pushing back enough of late and are losers of seven of their last eight games. Phoenix allowed a 21-point, second-half lead to slip away in a 115-110 home loss to the Charlotte Hornets on Sunday and watched star guard Devin Booker go down with a hip injury in the fourth quarter.
TV: 10:30 p.m. ET, FS Arizona (Phoenix), Spectrum SportsNet (Los Angeles)
ABOUT THE SUNS (18-36): Booker suffered a left hip pointer on Sunday and missed a game last week with bruised ribs, but he didn't seem interested in sitting out a long period to rest. "I like hoopin' honestly," Booker told reporter. "So, I'd rather play through a little bit of pain, go out there and fight with my brothers than sit back here. But if I can't really go then I'll sit out." Booker is averaging 17 points -- well below his season mark of 24.1 -- on 34.6 percent shooting in three games since returning from the rib injury.
ABOUT THE LAKERS (21-31): Los Angeles rookie point guard Lonzo Ball (knee) sat out the last 10 games and does not appear to be close to a return, which is leaving plenty of minutes for fellow rookie Josh Hart. The Villanova product got the start in the backcourt in each of the last two games and went a combined 10-of-14 from the floor while grabbing 25 rebounds. Hart is occupying a wing spot that usually goes to Brandon Ingram, who is taking on more playmaking responsibility with Ball out and totaled 15 assists in the last two games.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Suns PF Marquese Chriss sat out Sunday while serving a team-imposed one-game suspension and could return Tuesday.
2. Lakers rookie PF Kyle Kuzma, who leads the team in scoring at an average of 15.7 points, scored two points on Sunday and finished in single digits in four of the last five games.
3. Phoenix snapped a three-game losing streak in the series with a 122-113 win at Los Angeles on Nov. 17.