LOS ANGELES — If Tuesday’s season opener displayed what the Lakers will look like under coach JJ Redick when they’re nailing the little details of the game early, Friday’s 123-116 home win over the Phoenix Suns showed they can kick into an extra gear when needed.
The Lakers came back from a 22-point deficit to beat the Suns for their second victory to kick off the season after beating the Minnesota Timberwolves earlier in the week.
The victory marked the first time the Lakers opened a season 2-0 since 2010-11, a season they started with eight consecutive victories.
Anthony Davis was at the center of the Lakers’ turnaround, showing the Suns, just like the Timberwolves, had no answer for him defensively.
Davis led his team with a game-high 35 points on 11-of-18 shooting to go with eight rebounds, four assists and two blocked shots. He went 13 of 17 at the free-throw line.
Austin Reaves recorded 26 points (8-of-12 shooting), eight assists and four rebounds while LeBron James added 21 points (7-of-13), eight assists and four rebounds.
The Suns took advantage of the Lakers coming out of the gates sluggish, seemingly playing a step or two ahead of the hosts.
Phoenix scored 14 fastbreak points in the first quarter and knocked down 15 of its first 22 shots, with 14 of them being assisted, to take a 38-23 lead into the second that ballooned to 48-26 early in the quarter and 55-35 midway through the second.
The two-man game of Reaves and Davis kept the Lakers in the game, cutting the Suns’ lead to 61-52 at halftime.
The Lakers seemingly cracked the code, at least for one game, before the game’s midway break.
They opened the third on an 8-2 run before mixing up their defensive coverages and being sharper with their switching on defense, helping them pick up more stops and get out in transition offensively.
The Lakers finished with 28 fastbreak points despite having just five at the end of the first quarter.
Davis’ free throws at the 8:35 mark in the third gave the Lakers their first lead, 68-67, since early in the first.
The Lakers led for the entire fourth, leading by as many as 12 before cruising to the eventual win.
Rui Hachimura had 14 points and seven rebounds. Rookie wing Dalton Knecht finished with eight points, including a pair of 3-pointers, in 13 minutes off the bench.
Kevin Durant led the Suns with 30 points, six rebounds and four assists. Devin Booker scored 23 points while Bradley Beal had 15 points and nine assists.
The Lakers will return to Crypto.com Arena on Saturday, hosting the Sacramento Kings on the second night of a back-to-back.
