3rd Quarter Report

After a tough defeat on the road their last time out, the Suns look much better today on their home court. They have jumped out to a 72-63 lead against the Lakers.

If the Suns keep playing like this, they'll bump their record up to 34-24 in no time. On the other hand, the Lakers will have to make due with a 31-28 record unless they turn things around (and fast).

Who's Playing

Los Angeles Lakers @ Phoenix Suns

Current Records: Los Angeles 31-27, Phoenix 33-24

How To Watch

  • When: Sunday, February 25, 2024 at 3:30 p.m. ET
  • Where: Footprint Center -- Phoenix, Arizona
  • TV: ABC
  • Follow: CBS Sports App
  • Online streaming: fuboTV (Try for free. Regional restrictions may apply.)
  • Ticket Cost: $216.00

What to Know

The Lakers and the Suns are an even 5-5 against one another since March of 2022, but not for long. Both teams will face off at 3:30 p.m. ET on February 25th at Footprint Center without much rest after finishing up games yesterday. The Suns took a loss in their last contest and will be looking to turn the tables on the Lakers, who come in off a win.

Last Friday, Los Angeles didn't have too much breathing room in their contest against the Spurs, but they still walked away with a 123-118 victory. The over/under was set at 241 points, so nice work oddsmakers; you were right on the money.

The Lakers' success was spearheaded by the efforts of Anthony Davis, who dropped a double-double on 28 points and 13 rebounds, and LeBron James, who almost dropped a double-double on 30 points and nine assists. Davis is on a roll when it comes to rebounds, as he's now pulled down 13 or more in the last four games he's played.

Meanwhile, the point spread may have favored the Suns last Friday, but the final result did not. They fell to Houston 114-110. The Suns got off to an early lead (up 16 with 5:24 left in the first quarter), but sadly they weren't able to maintain that momentum.

Even though the team lost, they still had their share of impressive performances. One of the best came from Kevin Durant, who dropped a double-double on 28 points and 11 rebounds. He didn't help the Suns' cause all that much against the Mavericks on Thursday but the same can't be said for this matchup. Bol Bol was another key contributor, dropping a double-double on 25 points and 14 rebounds.

Even though they lost, the Suns smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 19 offensive rebounds. That's the most offensive rebounds they've managed all season.

Los Angeles pushed their record up to 31-27 with that win, which was their third straight at home. Those victories were due in large part to their offensive dominance across that stretch, as they averaged 129.0 points per game. As for Phoenix, this is the second loss in a row for them and nudges their season record down to 33-24.

Sunday's contest is shaping up to be a masterclass in shooting: The Lakers just can't miss this season, having made 49.5% of their shots per game (they're ranked fourth in field goal percentage overall). However, it's not like the Suns (currently ranked third in field goal percentage) struggle in that department as they've made 49.8% of their shots this season. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.

The Lakers are hoping to beat the odds on Sunday, as the experts think they're headed for a loss. For those looking to play the spread, watch out: Los Angeles is playing on the road, but their 12-17 record against the spread as such isn't exactly encouraging.

Odds

Phoenix is a 4-point favorite against Los Angeles, according to the latest NBA odds.

The oddsmakers had a good feel for the line for this one, as the game opened with the Suns as a 4.5-point favorite.


The over/under is 241.5 points.

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Series History

Phoenix and Los Angeles both have 5 wins in their last 10 games.

  • Jan 11, 2024 - Phoenix 127 vs. Los Angeles 109
  • Dec 05, 2023 - Los Angeles 106 vs. Phoenix 103
  • Nov 10, 2023 - Los Angeles 122 vs. Phoenix 119
  • Oct 26, 2023 - Los Angeles 100 vs. Phoenix 95
  • Apr 07, 2023 - Los Angeles 121 vs. Phoenix 107
  • Mar 22, 2023 - Los Angeles 122 vs. Phoenix 111
  • Dec 19, 2022 - Phoenix 130 vs. Los Angeles 104
  • Nov 22, 2022 - Phoenix 115 vs. Los Angeles 105
  • Apr 05, 2022 - Phoenix 121 vs. Los Angeles 110
  • Mar 13, 2022 - Phoenix 140 vs. Los Angeles 111