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The Lakers (34-23) are back on the road for the next two games, starting on Thursday when they play against the Phoenix Suns (33-26). This is the final match between the two teams this season, as the purple and gold look to tie the season series.
Start time and TV schedule
Who: Los Angeles Lakers vs. Phoenix Suns
When: 6 p.m. PT, Feb. 26
Where: Mortgage Matchup Center
Watch: Spectrum Sportsnet
Just when you think the Lakers would bounce back after an embarrassing loss to the Celtics, they took it a step further. They lost to an Orlando Magic team without arguably it’s best player in Franz Wagner and their top perimeter defender in Jalen Suggs. Yes, the same Magic team that — with all due respect — doesn’t even rank top five in the mediocre Eastern Conference.
Given how competitive and tight the Western Conference standings are right now, especially in the middle of the pack, that was a horrible loss for the Lakers.
Now they’re sitting in sixth place and just three games above the play-in category, specifically where their next opponent, the Suns, are currently slotted.
That’s why Thursday’s match becomes significantly more important for the Lakers.
Not only do they need to tie the season series against their fellow Pacific Division opponent, but they also need to create some distance from them to stay afloat in the standings. It will help that the Suns’ best players, namely Devin Booker and Dillon Brooks — who, yes, have given the Lakers some trouble and a lot of annoyance this season, are ruled out for this one.
The Suns will most likely run their offense through Jalen Green, Collin Gillespie, Grayson Allen and Mark Williams. As long as the Lakers don’t allow them to play extraordinarily well, then LA should be able to handle them.
There’s really no excuse for the Lakers to lose. They’re not playing their best basketball right now, but they have to at least attempt to be better. The good news is that they play well on the road, so hopefully we see a better performance from them in the next two games.
Without Booker and Brooks at the perimeter, the Lakers should be able to feast.
It would be ideal to see a bounce back game from top to bottom. Can we get another good game from Deandre Ayton against his former team? Can Austin Reaves be more impactful? And most importantly, can the team as a whole just show more pride and play with more determination to win games?
With 25 games left, the worst-case scenario for them is to fall into the play-in range after playing well enough for most of the season to be out of it.
Notes and Updates
- For the Lakers’ injury report, Rui Hachimura is listed as questionable due to illness.
- Jaxson Hayes (right ankle sprain) has been upgraded to probable, while Adou Thiero (G-League) and Bronny James Jr., (G-League) are with the South Bay Lakers.
- As for the Suns, Cole Anthony (not with the team), Devin Booker (right hip strain), Dillon Brooks (left hand fracture), Jordan Goodwin (left calf strain) and Haywood Highsmith (right knee injury) are out.
You can follow Nicole on Twitter at @nicoleganglani.