Phoenix Suns vs. Los Angeles Lakers: NBA Preview and Predictions

The NBA Emirates Cup will return on Wednesday morning as the Los Angeles Lakers take on the Phoenix Suns at the Footprint Center.

With a record of 10-6, the Lakers are atop West Group B with a perfect 2-0 record, while the Suns are in fourth place with a record of 9-7 and a 1-1 record.

Previous Matches and Head-to-head

The Phoenix Suns have fallen into a skid after a promising start to the season. In midweek, they lost 138-122 to the New York Knicks, their third consecutive defeat at home.

The losing squad was led by Devin Booker, who scored 33 points, three rebounds, and 5 assists. Royce O’Neale scored 17 points and two assists, and Tyus Jones scored 15 points and 10 assists.

On the other hand, the Suns went downhill from the opening tip-off, falling behind 14-3. Things worsened in the second quarter, as the Knicks extended their advantage to 24 points, courtesy of a rapid surge by Jalen Brunson.

In addition to highlighting Mike Budenholzer’s dubious roster depth this season, the recent absences of Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal have had a noticeable effect on Phoenix’s quality of play.

The Suns' defence suffered a significant setback in KD's absence. After starting the season with a top-half defensive rating, they've fallen to 20th place, allowing 114.5 points per game.

After losing 127-102 at home to the Nuggets on Sunday morning, the Los Angeles Lakers hope to get back on track in this game.

While LeBron James scored 18 points and dished out seven assists, Austin Reaves added three boards to his total of 19, while Anthony Davis struggled to muster much more than 14 points and ten rebounds.

After the loss, head coach J.J. Redick held a news conference to criticize his squad. He blamed a “lack of spirit to compete” for their 37-15 third-quarter deficit.

The loss was the Lakers’ second straight setback after Saturday’s one-point loss to the Orlando Magic. They have now lost 13 of their past 14 games against the Nuggets.

With a 7-9-0 ATS record after 16 games, Los Angeles is still in the top 10 in scoring, averaging 116.4 PPG. However, they have dropped to 24th in defensive efficiency, allowing 116.9 PPG.

Phoenix Suns x Los Angeles Lakers Team News

In the days before the Suns' game against the Lakers, Budenholzer gave Suns supporters some good news: Beal and Durant are back in training and might play.

If Bradley Beal does miss the game, Ryan Dunn will likely start in Beal’s wing position, but the head coach was more upbeat about KD’s chances of recovering in time than Beal’s.

After sitting out three games with a sprained right ankle, Lakers forward Rui Hachimura returned for 22 minutes against the Nuggets, tallying ten points, three assists, and two boards.

Nevertheless, the Lakers are still without Jaxson Hayes (ankle), Jarred Vanderbilt (foot), Bronny James (foot), Quincy Olivari (ankle), and Christian Wood (knee surgery) due to injury.

Our Predictions

Phoenix Suns to win @ 1.64 on Sky247.ng

The Suns have struggled to regain their form due to the absence of its two All-Stars for the last six games. However, with their expected return for this match, we anticipate a significant improvement from the team and predict that Phoenix will stop their five-game losing streak.

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