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abr 11 2026LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Phoenix Suns 101-73 in an NBA matchday highlighted by LeBron James' performance of 28 points, 12 assists, and 6 rebounds, guiding his team to a victory that secures home-court advantage in the first round of the NBA playoffs.
The game began with LeBron James setting the pace from the opening tip. The Los Angeles Lakers veteran scored 14 points in the first quarter and was directly involved in nine of his team's first ten baskets between points and assists. That start allowed the Lakers to quickly build a 16-point lead, establishing control of the game from the opening minutes.
Despite facing the game with several significant absences, the Los Angeles Lakers maintained dominance thanks to James' leadership and the accuracy of their rotation. Luke Kennard contributed 19 points, while Rui Hachimura added 13, progressively widening the gap against a Phoenix Suns team that never managed to close the gap on the scoreboard.
During the first half came a historic moment: LeBron James reached the 12,000th assist of his career, becoming the fourth player in NBA history to reach that milestone. In the second half, the league's all-time leading scorer continued directing the offense, adding six points and seven assists to keep the Lakers' advantage under control.
The victory confirms the great form of the Los Angeles Lakers in this final stretch of the NBA season. The team has won 15 of their last 19 games, including two consecutive victories, with LeBron James accumulating 54 points over the back-to-back of the last two games with a 63.6% shooting percentage (21 of 33).
For the Phoenix Suns, leading scorer was Dillon Brooks with 12 points on a very difficult night for the Arizona team's offense, which posted their worst scoring output of the season. The Suns faced the game with several important absences: Devin Booker rested to protect his right ankle ahead of the NBA playoffs, while Jalen Green also did not play due to knee soreness.
Injuries continue to impact the Los Angeles Lakers, who remain without Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves, although the game also marked the return of Marcus Smart, who came back after nine games of absence and contributed 6 points and 7 assists.
With this victory, the Los Angeles Lakers (52-29) secure home-court advantage in the first round of the NBA playoffs and maintain a chance to finish third in the Western Conference, sitting just one game behind the Denver Nuggets, though with the favorable head-to-head tiebreaker. For their part, the Phoenix Suns, seventh in the West, have already secured the top seed in the Western Conference play-in tournament before the start of the postseason.
