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Final result Lakers vs. Suns: Anthony Davis shines in loss to Phoenix


Final result Lakers vs. Suns: Anthony Davis shines in loss to Phoenix

After defeating LeBron James and Rui Hachimura, the Lakers put up a valiant fight in their penultimate preseason game in Phoenix, winning 128-122 in overtime.

In a late surge in the fourth quarter, Dalton Knecht finally tied the game with a 3-pointer with 4.8 seconds left and scored the last seven regulation points for the Purple and Gold and 12 in the fourth quarter.

He continued his blistering shooting in overtime, scoring the visitors' first 13 points. For those who are bad at math, that's 20 Lakers points in a row. Knecht finished with 35 points, 30 from those who come in the second half.

Anthony Davis dominated early, finishing with 35 points, 10 rebounds and four assists. Austin Reaves had an outstanding game, scoring 18 points with eight rebounds.

D'Angelo Russell had 10 assists and nine points but struggled with his shooting, going just 2-9 from the field and 0-5 from distance. Gabe Vincent scored seven points and went 3-7 from the field.

AD came out of the gate red hot, scoring eight straight points, including two 3-pointers. The Lakers had an excellent offense early on, with everyone except Max Christie making a shot. After LA led by as many as seven, the Suns cut the deficit to one, led by Devin Booker. AD knocked down two more 3-pointers as the Suns kept leaving him wide open behind the arc.

Phoenix went on an 8-0 run to take a one-point lead. Both teams struggled with consistent defense, but the offense was still hot. Los Angeles took a lead of two after a three-pointer from Gabe. At the end of the first period, LA had a lead of five.

The offense continued to sizzle for both teams at the start of the second half. Cam Reddish was active in the first half, switching and making shots. LA had a lot of trouble with the Suns' defense, which led to Phoenix keeping the deficit close.

Gabe scored four straight goals to put LA five points ahead. Phoenix responded immediately, ensuring a draw. The Suns took a lead by two with two minutes left before halftime. LA struggled to finish the quarter well and trailed by five.

Phoenix started the third period with a mid-range shot, while the Lakers started cold offensively. The Suns had the lead, but both teams played sloppy. LA's offense began to heat up and the game tied.

The Suns were able to hold off the Lakers and take a lead of five, but an assist from Gabe to AD on a layup cut the deficit to two. Phoenix then made a run to gain a lead of eight. LA had difficulty converting on many simple throws.

At the end of the third period, the Lakers trailed 90-82.

The final frame saw both teams' starters get more playing time while the Lakers still trailed. The quarter quickly turned into an offensive showdown with a few hints on defense. The Suns maintained a lead of eight as LA tried to bring the game closer.

AD converted a three-point play and the Lakers were within five points. He continued to dominate with another layup before being substituted for the night.

The young Lakers, who came into the game late, attempted the same comeback they did against the Milwaukee Bucks at the start of the preseason. After cutting the deficit to just three points, Knecht tied the game with his clutch 3-pointer.

The Suns attempted a three-pointer but failed to score and the game went into overtime. Knecht's confidence grew as he scored another three goals.

He then drilled another shot to put the Lakers ahead by four points. Phoenix made a three-pointer to make it a one-point game. Knecht sank another three-pointer. His outstanding performance continued and the Lakers secured the victory in overtime.

Key Takeaways:

The Lakers still have a lot of work to do with their defensive plans. They found it difficult to maintain consistent defense throughout pre-season.

The offense seems to be going quite well. Coach Reddick is making sure the team plays more fluidly than we are used to.

LA fought for rebounds and looked extremely committed. This will be important throughout the season.

The Lakers' next preseason game is Friday at 7:30 p.m. PT against the Golden State Warriors.

You can follow Karin on Twitter at @KarinAbcarians.

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