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Lakers 115, Suns 99
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 — Center Chris Kaman scored a season-high 28 points and pulled down 17 rebounds, and the Los Angeles Lakers surprised the Phoenix Suns 115-99 on Sunday at Staples Center.
The loss ended a six-game winning streak for the Suns (44-30), who dropped into a tie with the idle Dallas Mavericks for the No. 7 spot in the Western Conference playoff race. Phoenix, which had won four in a row over the Lakers (25-48), lost for the first time in four meetings with Los Angeles this season.
Guard Jodie Meeks scored 22 points and forward Ryan Kelly came off the bench to score 17 for the Lakers.
Kaman, who also had six assists, fell a point shy of reaching his career high of 29 points, which he achieved against the Houston Rockets in December 2009. Against Phoenix, Kaman was 13-of-19 from the floor.
The Lakers used a 21-4 run, including a 17-0 spurt at one point, in the second quarter for a 61-43 advantage at the half. Meeks was the catalyst, scoring 11 of his points in the quarter. Phoenix went almost five minutes without a field goal. Kaman had 18 points and 10 rebounds by intermission.
In the third quarter, Los Angeles continued to hammer away, increasing its lead to 83-57 after a three-point play by Meeks with 4:42 remaining before the Suns rallied with a 17-6 run to end the quarter trailing 89-74.
Phoenix failed to get any closer than 11 the rest of the way.
Guard Gerald Green scored 22 points to lead the Suns, while guard Goran Dragic finished with 17 points, five rebounds and four assists. Reserve forward Markieff Morris had 16 points and 12 rebounds and Marcus Morris chipped in 15 points and six rebounds.
Phoenix had a miserable shooting night on 3-pointers, missing 28 of its 36 attempts. Overall, the Suns shot 38.5 percent (35-of-91) compared to 53 percent for the Lakers (44-of-83).
The Lakers again played without center Pau Gasol, who missed his fourth consecutive contest with vertigo.
NOTES: Lakers G Xavier Henry missed his second consecutive game due to a sore right knee … Phoenix shot only 25 percent (7-for-28), including 0-for-9 from behind the arc, in the first quarter compared to 45.5 percent (10-for-22) for Los Angeles. … The Suns, who host the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday, have five of their remaining eight regular season games on the road, including stops at Portland (Friday), New Orleans (April 9), San Antonio (April 11), Dallas (April 12) and Sacramento (April 16). The game against the Kings is the regular-season finale. … Los Angeles hosts the Trail Blazers on Tuesday. … The Lakers have allowed at least 130 points, including a season-high 143 to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday, five times this season. … Phoenix fell to 9-17 when trailing at halftime.
