The series between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Phoenix Suns just got more interesting after the former tied it all up with a win in Game 2. Will the Suns get the series lead back again in Game 3? Or will the Lakers win their first playoff home game of the season? Check out our preview of Game 3 of this series below.
With Chris Paul seemingly not in 100 percent form, the Suns lost their lead in the series, suffering a 109-102 home loss in Game 2. Paul played just 23 minutes and posted only six points with three rebounds and five assists. Devin Booker scored 31 points, but was just 7 of 17 from the field. Despite Paul’s struggles, the Suns must be encouraged from what they saw from backup guard Cameron Payne, who came off the bench and scored 19 points to go with seven assists and even a couple of blocks. Payne’s performance gives the Suns confidence in the backcourt while Paul continues to recover fully from his shoulder issue. Deandre Ayton is balling in this series. The big man out of Arizona had 22 points and 10 rebounds in Game 2. He is now averaging 21.5 points and 13.0 rebounds in the series despite having to battle Andre Drummond and Anthony Davis down low.
The Suns have covered the spread in 11 of their last 14 games after a loss. The over is 11-1 in the Suns’ last 12 road games.
The Lakers got big games from their biggest stars and everything was back to normal in Tinseltown. Anthony Davis scored 34 points with 10 rebounds and three blocks in Game 2, while LeBron James put up 23 points, dished out nine assists, and hit a clutch shot to help the Lakers get the series-tying win over the Suns on Tuesday. The Lakers should capitalize on this newly generated momentum, which is also timely as the series is about to shift to STAPLES Center. Andre Drummond can check his Twitter in peace after Game 2, as he had 15 points and 12 rebounds, while Dennis Schroder had 24 points. Those two remain crucial pieces for the Lakers, as the team needs them to carry the team, especially when at least one of AD and LeBron are on the bench. The Lakers’ rim protection has been fantastic so far in the series, with the team averaging 5.5 blocks per game.
The Lakers are 6-4 against the spread in their last 10 home games against Phoenix. The under is 2-1 in the Lakers’ last three games as the home team.
