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After losing four games in a row during which they were very short-handed, the Los Angeles Lakers finally got some good news on the injury front on Sunday when they hosted the Phoenix Suns. Luka Dončić, Jaxson Hayes, Dorian Finney-Smith and Gabe Vincent all returned to game action, and ESPN's Shams Charania reported that LeBron James and Rui Hachimura could return in a matter of days.
The Lakers took control early against the Suns by taking a 31-15 lead at the end of the first quarter and opening up a 59-39 lead early in the third quarter. They coasted from there, as their shooting gradually cooled off considerably, but their defense held the Suns at bay. While Los Angeles didn't play a very good game overall, its defense, as has often been the case, was stingy. Phoenix only shot 39.3% from the field and 22% from 3-point range, and that allowed L.A. to come away with a 107-96 victory.
Luka Doncic and crew will play again on Monday evening, this time against the San Antonio Spurs, in the second of five straight games at home after their 0-4 road trip. L.A.'s record is now 41-25, and while it is in fifth place in the Western Conference, it is one game behind the second-place Houston Rockets and tied in the loss column with the Rockets.
Finney-Smith returned to the starting lineup after sitting out Friday's loss to the Denver Nuggets. He didn't shoot very well, but he hit a key 3-pointer with 1:43 left in the fourth quarter and scored on a tip-in with 38.1 seconds remaining to ensure victory. He finished with 10 points, six rebounds, three assists, one steal and one block in 36 minutes.
Defensively, he did a good job on Kevin Durant. Durant was 1-of-9 from the field for four points in the first half, and while he got loose for 14 points in the third quarter, he went just 6-of-17 overall and had five turnovers.
Goodwin couldn't find the basket, as he made just one of his five shot attempts and missed all three of his attempts from 3-point land. But he did contribute three rebounds, two blocks and one steal in 28 minutes.
In his first game back after missing four in a row, Hayes feasted offensively. He scored 19 points on 8-of-10 shooting and made seven shots in a row at one point, and he also grabbed six rebounds while proving Los Angeles with the size and length it sorely lacked in recent days. He also chipped in three assists, one steal and one block in 29 minutes.
As he did on Friday, Reaves took charge with James still unable to play due to a groin strain. The undrafted guard scored 37 points and dished off 13 assists versus Denver, and on Sunday, he put up 28 points on 10-of-21 overall shooting and 4-of-10 from downtown. He also got others involved with six assists and added four rebounds, two steals and one block.
Doncic made sure the Lakers got off to a good start in this game. He scored 13 straight points in the first quarter, and he ended the first half with 17 points. His shooting became chilly afterward, as he converted just four of his 12 attempts in the second half, and the Suns started to trap him down the stretch to force him to get rid of the basketball.
He still managed to score a game-high 33 points, and one reason why was the fact that he consistently drew fouls and made 13 of his 14 free throw attempts. Doncic also grabbed 11 rebounds, which was also a game-high, and he dished off eight assists in 40 minutes.
Vincent had the touch from beyond the arc, which allowed him to make three of his five attempts from that distance. He finished with nine points, one rebound, one assist and one steal in 27 minutes.
Koloko missed four of his five shot attempts, but in 5 minutes of playing time, he did a solid job on the boards with four rebounds.
After going off for 32 points on Friday, Knecht had trouble finding the basket on Sunday. He went just 1-of-5 from the field and scored three points while contributing two rebounds in 16 minutes.
Vanderbilt played just 10 minutes, but he helped out with three rebounds versus the Suns.
This article originally appeared on LeBron Wire: Lakers player grades: L.A. finally gets back in the win column
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The Lakers took control early against the Suns by taking a 31-15 lead at the end of the first quarter and opening up a 59-39 lead early in the third quarter. They coasted from there, as their shooting gradually cooled off considerably, but their defense held the Suns at bay. While Los Angeles didn't play a very good game overall, its defense, as has often been the case, was stingy. Phoenix only shot 39.3% from the field and 22% from 3-point range, and that allowed L.A. to come away with a 107-96 victory.
Luka Doncic and crew will play again on Monday evening, this time against the San Antonio Spurs, in the second of five straight games at home after their 0-4 road trip. L.A.'s record is now 41-25, and while it is in fifth place in the Western Conference, it is one game behind the second-place Houston Rockets and tied in the loss column with the Rockets.
Dorian Finney-Smith: B/B-plus
Finney-Smith returned to the starting lineup after sitting out Friday's loss to the Denver Nuggets. He didn't shoot very well, but he hit a key 3-pointer with 1:43 left in the fourth quarter and scored on a tip-in with 38.1 seconds remaining to ensure victory. He finished with 10 points, six rebounds, three assists, one steal and one block in 36 minutes.
Defensively, he did a good job on Kevin Durant. Durant was 1-of-9 from the field for four points in the first half, and while he got loose for 14 points in the third quarter, he went just 6-of-17 overall and had five turnovers.
Jordan Goodwin: C
Goodwin couldn't find the basket, as he made just one of his five shot attempts and missed all three of his attempts from 3-point land. But he did contribute three rebounds, two blocks and one steal in 28 minutes.
Jaxson Hayes: A
In his first game back after missing four in a row, Hayes feasted offensively. He scored 19 points on 8-of-10 shooting and made seven shots in a row at one point, and he also grabbed six rebounds while proving Los Angeles with the size and length it sorely lacked in recent days. He also chipped in three assists, one steal and one block in 29 minutes.
Austin Reaves: A
As he did on Friday, Reaves took charge with James still unable to play due to a groin strain. The undrafted guard scored 37 points and dished off 13 assists versus Denver, and on Sunday, he put up 28 points on 10-of-21 overall shooting and 4-of-10 from downtown. He also got others involved with six assists and added four rebounds, two steals and one block.
Luka Doncic: A-minus
Doncic made sure the Lakers got off to a good start in this game. He scored 13 straight points in the first quarter, and he ended the first half with 17 points. His shooting became chilly afterward, as he converted just four of his 12 attempts in the second half, and the Suns started to trap him down the stretch to force him to get rid of the basketball.
He still managed to score a game-high 33 points, and one reason why was the fact that he consistently drew fouls and made 13 of his 14 free throw attempts. Doncic also grabbed 11 rebounds, which was also a game-high, and he dished off eight assists in 40 minutes.
Gabe Vincent: B-plus
Vincent had the touch from beyond the arc, which allowed him to make three of his five attempts from that distance. He finished with nine points, one rebound, one assist and one steal in 27 minutes.
Christian Koloko: C-plus/B-minus
Koloko missed four of his five shot attempts, but in 5 minutes of playing time, he did a solid job on the boards with four rebounds.
Dalton Knecht: D
After going off for 32 points on Friday, Knecht had trouble finding the basket on Sunday. He went just 1-of-5 from the field and scored three points while contributing two rebounds in 16 minutes.
Jarred Vanderbilt: C
Vanderbilt played just 10 minutes, but he helped out with three rebounds versus the Suns.
This article originally appeared on LeBron Wire: Lakers player grades: L.A. finally gets back in the win column
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