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Suns 116, Lakers 107
Jeff Hawkins is an award-winning sportswriter with more than four decades in the industry (print and digital media). A freelance writer/stay-at-home dad since 2008, Hawkins started his career with newspaper stints in Michigan, North Carolina, Florida, Upstate New York and Illinois, where he earned the 2004 APSE first-place award for column writing (under 40,000 circulation). As a beat writer, he covered NASCAR Winston Cup events at NHIS (1999-2003), the NHL's Chicago Blackhawks (2003-06) and the NFL's Carolina Panthers (2011-12). Hawkins penned four youth sports books, including a Michael Jordan biography. Hawkins' main hobbies include mountain bike riding, 5k trail runs at the Whitewater Center in Charlotte, N.C., and live music.
All posts by Jeff HawkinsUpdated15 Oct 2021
LOS ANGELES — Guard Goran Dragic scored 24 points, and the Phoenix Suns captured their sixth straight victory with a 116-107 win over the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday night at Staples Center.
Guard Eric Bledsoe added 22 points, eight assists and eight rebounds as the Suns (18-14) handed the Lakers their third consecutive loss.
Guard Nick Young scored 21 points and backup point guard Jeremy Lin finished with 19 points to lead Los Angeles (9-22).
Lakers guard Kobe Bryant returned after missing three games due to fatigue. Bryant seemed to labor at times in Sunday’s contest, scoring 10 points on four-of-10 shooting, pulling down eight rebounds and dishing out seven assists in 32 minutes.
The Suns held a 94-81 cushion early in the fourth quarter after a 3-point basket by reserve guard Gerald Green. However, the Lakers rallied. A jumper by Young and a 3-pointer by Lin pulled Los Angeles within 100-97 with 5:28 remaining.
Phoenix pushed the lead back to nine after forward P.J. Tucker’s bucket with 4:17 left, but again the Lakers came back on back-to-back 3-pointers by forward Wesley Johnson, who finished with 14 points. Young’s two foul shots cut the gap to 106-105 with 2:21 left, but the Lakers faltered down the stretch.
Tucker’s layup gave the Suns a three-point lead again before forward Markieff Morris’ turnaround jumper inside gave them a five-point advantage with 49 seconds remaining. The Lakers failed to convert on their next three possessions as the Suns clinched their fifth road decision in the last six games.
Dragic’s jumper gave the Suns a 63-61 lead with 7:24 remaining in the third quarter. They never trailed again.
Bryant’s 3-pointer cut the Suns’ lead to 77-76 with 2:55 left, but Bledsoe scored eight of his 16 third-quarter points in the final 2:41, allowing Phoenix to close on an 11-5 run for a 88-81 advantage heading into the fourth quarter.
Young scored 12 of his points, connecting on four 3-point buckets, in the second quarter as the Lakers grabbed a 56-55 lead at the half.
NOTES: Lakers coach Byron Scott said C Tarik Black, whom the club obtained Sunday off waivers from the Houston Rockets, gives Los Angeles a rugged and defensive presence inside. “Big, physical, strong kid. Very intelligent,” Scott said of the 6-11, 250-pound rookie. “Love to see him get here as soon as quick as possible so we can get him in action on the practice court and just go from there.” Black, who averaged 4.2 points and 5.1 rebounds in 15.7 minutes per game with Houston, is expected to take a physical Monday and could be in uniform when Los Angeles visits the Denver Nuggets on Tuesday. … The Suns cap their four-game road swing with games against the New Orleans Pelicans on Tuesday and the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday.
