The Phoenix Suns host a struggling Los Angeles Lakers team in an in-season tournament clash of Western Conference heavyweights on Friday, November 10.
The Suns vs. Lakers clash is a preview of two teams tipped to at least reach the NBA playoffs. Both teams have gone through some games without their top stars, although Phoenix has slowly gotten its top guns back.
The same cannot be said for the Lakers, with multiple players absent in their loss to the Houston Rockets on Wednesday, 128-94. Hence, it will be up to LeBron James to lead the charge.
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Suns vs. Lakers NBA In-Season Tournament Odds
Heading into this titanic Western Conference in-season tournament showdown, the Suns are unsurprisingly the favorites to prevail. Phoenix is a -3 spread favorite to win over Los Angeles, per OddsShark.com.
Also, the Moneyline set for the Suns vs. Lakers game is -145 for Phoenix and +125 for Los Angeles.
Suns vs. Lakers NBA In-Season Tournament Preview
The Suns are coming off a nail-biting win over the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday, led by the duo of Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal. Devin Booker did not play for the third straight game due to a right calf injury, per Underdog NBA.
Durant again logged in heavy minutes. He played for 42 minutes in the Suns' OT win, finishing with 25 points, 7 rebounds, and 9 assists.
Leading the Suns in that win over the Bulls was Grayson Allen, who had a game-high 26 points, 8 rebounds, and 4 assists in 37 minutes of action. Beal debuted as a Suns player with 13 points in 24 minutes of action.
However, there is a chance that Booker could return to the Suns lineup against the Lakers, Shams Charania of The Athletic reported. If the three-time All-Star guard can suit up, this should further tilt the Suns' chances of getting their 5th win of the season.
Unfortunately, this means more problems for the Lakers and head coach Darvin Ham.
With Anthony Davis unavailable, Ham had no choice but to rely on James, D'Angelo Russell, and a returning Rui Hachimura to carry the load.
Hachimura, playing his first game for the season, had a great outing as he led the Lakers with 24 points, 8 rebounds and 2 assists. Russell also had a good scoring night, chipping in 22 markers along with 4 assists.
James finished with 18 points, and no other Lakers player was able to finish in double-figures. Taurean Prince has had his share of good games but was hardly any help.
As for Davis, who was ruled out against the Rockets due to back spasms, he remains questionable against the Suns. It would be another huge blow for the purple and gold if he were absent.
Suns vs. Lakers NBA In-Season Tournament Pick
Unless the Lakers can come up with a near-perfect game, the Phoenix Suns will likely get this one and deal Los Angeles another disappointing loss.
With Booker possibly back alongside Durant and Beal, Phoenix will be a tough team to beat.
A Davis return could help, but Ham knows that other players need to step up to avoid picking up loss no. 6.
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