The Los Angeles Lakers, led by LeBron James and Anthony Davis, are the team that contenders did not want to see in the first round of the Western Conference Playoffs. Still, the Lakers did enter the postseason as the No. 7 seed and, with a Game 1 loss to the Phoenix Suns on the road, the reigning champions enter Game 2 with a sense of urgency on Tuesday.
Los Angeles struggled to score in the series opener, failing to generate more than 25 points in any single quarter. Part of that can certainly be attributed to a stellar Suns defense, but Los Angeles also shot just 7-of-26 from the three-point line and 17-of-28 at the charity stripe in the game. The Lakers also did not receive top-shelf performances from either James or Davis, with the pair combining to shoot just 11-of-29 from the floor for 31 points in 75 combined minutes of action.
On the Phoenix side, Devin Booker and Deandre Ayton were tremendous in the opener. Booker led all scorers with an efficient 34 points, and he added eight assists as the team’s No. 1 option on a day when Chris Paul was limited. Ayton out-dueled the Lakers’ frontcourt with 21 points and 16 rebounds, reminding observers of his substantial upside. Still, the Suns can expect to take the best punch of what could be a desperate Lakers team in Game 2, and they must be prepared for that kind of inspired effort.
From a betting view, Game 1 went Under the total of 214 points and Phoenix covered the closing point spread of 2.5 points as a favorite.
Game 2 TV Info
Tip Time: Tuesday, May 25; 10:00 p.m. ET
TV Network: TNT
Game 2 Betting Lines (via DraftKings Sportsbook)
Series Prices: Suns (-117), Lakers (-106)
Spread: Lakers -1.5 (-112), Suns +1.5 (-110)
Total: Over 208.5 (-112), Under 208.5 (-109)
Money Line: Lakers (-121), Suns (+102)