The Phoenix Suns are up 50-48 over the Los Angeles Lakers as they both head to their respective locker rooms for halftime.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Turning the game around after a sluggish start, here is what the Suns have to do to pile the pressure on the Lakers in the second half and get a win:
Limit Davis’ scoring at all costs
Davis was 7-for-11 from the field and scored 16 points in the first quarter alone. The Western Conference Player of the Week picked up right where he left off after earning the honor and was nearly unstoppable. Finding his spots and making the Suns pay for giving him enough space, Davis had a strong start before Phoenix grew into the half as time wore on. The Kentucky product finished with 20 points, five rebounds and one assist through two quarters.
The Suns need to continue to box out Davis and keep him as far away from the paint as possible. Put the pressure on him to make a move, limit any easy look and keep Jusuf Nurkić, Kevin Durant or Mason Plumlee on him so there is no size discrepancy between Davis and someone smaller.
Rebound, rebound, rebound
Almost every time the ball was up for grabs after a missed shot, Los Angeles was aggressive when attacking the paint on either end of the court. While the Suns were left watching, the Lakers got a second or third chance to shoot before they eventually scored. Budenholzer talked to the team and the Suns responded, having a higher sense of awareness and urgency to claim the ball.
They need to keep the defense compact while also having an eye on the opposing players around them because the Lakers are coming out of nowhere and vying for a board. Phoenix outrebounded the Lakers 25-22 at the end of the second quarter after trailing in that department, 13-4.
Stop the Lakers’ momentum
The Lakers had their way in the first quarter and the Suns couldn’t find a way to stop them from scoring. Los Angeles quickly snatched the lead courtesy of a massive 23-4 run and fed off of the large conglomerate of fans cheering inside Footprint Center. Phoenix then responded with a 15-8 run of their own and came back from 18 to lead 50-48.
The Suns clawed back to be within two before the Lakers extended their lead right back. LeBron James had just three points in the half and Phoenix has to keep his scoring low if it wants to come back or things can change drastically. Los Angeles is a team that can capitalize at any given time and is streaky, so the defense of the Suns will need to be a major factor.
Nurkic has to play better
After struggling against the Lakers last Friday, Nurkić had the chance to respond from a four-point performance where he shot 1-for-5 from the field and was a minus 19 on the floor in the 123-116 loss. He bounced back against the Clippers with 18 points and 14 rebounds but was back to having a poor start. A team-high minus 21 with two points and two turnovers, the Bosnian was found watching others presenting more effort on both ends and Davis was the benefactor of getting past the 7-foot center.
With Plumlee a plus 18, it will be interesting to see if Budenholzer opts to change centers in the final two quarters. If Nurkić remains one of the key figures going forward, however, he needs to be more assertive on both sides of the ball like he was vs. the Clippers.
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Reporter Alec Cipollini covers the Phoenix Mercury, Suns and ASU Athletics for Burn City Sports. You can follow him on his X account, @AlecCipollini
