The Phoenix Suns hit the road as they play the Los Angeles Lakers at Staples Center on Thursday. Now playing game three of the highly contested series, they can only hope that Chris Paul’s shoulder is healing. The team cannot win games without a healthy CP3 and it clearly showed as he was limited in the last one.
The #2 seed in the Western Conference has looked every bit of it in this series, but the issue is that the team on the other side is very much equal. That rarely happens in round one, but here we stand. The Lakers have been making life tough, and Phoenix is going to have to make some real adjustments. They need to beef up their bench for next season, as they lack options behind Jae Crowder and DeAndre Ayton.
The Lakers defense to close game two was incredible. They brought Alex Caruso back into the game when the score was 97-96, and they got four stops in a row. Anthony Davis was wreaking havoc with the blocks, while LeBron James was doing his thing, too. Dennis Schroder finally broke out of his funk, and they won a road game in a hostile environment. 1-1 as the series changes locations for the next two.
ODDS
The spread favors the #7 Lakers by seven points. The over/under is 210 points.
Suns Trying to Dig Deep
By winning one of two games in L.A., the Suns would position themselves to possibly end the series at home. Having split with the Lakers there, they have got to now come in and win outside their home. Not having their star point guard at full health has made them play a style they haven’t since before he ever showed up. It’s been real tough.
Having gone 8-0 in the bubble last year, the Suns game two loss marked their first defeat in a high-stakes game going all the way back to 2010. This is their first playoff trip since then, and they want to make it last. This is a team that is continuing to grow up and play well in clutch moments, but they have to be better, still.
If they don’t neutralize Anthony Davis, they will have zero chance.
Lakers Seeking 2-1 Series Lead
The Lakers closed out game two, and hope to carry some momentum into the next one, now. Playing home games at Staples Center is something we haven’t seen from them in a long time, as last year marked their long-awaited return to the playoffs.
And of course, games were in the bubble. Hopefully, it isn’t a bad omen, as the Clippers went 0-2 in their games at Staples over the weekend. The last playoff victory in the building was now a few years ago.
With LeBron and AD at the helm, they are tough to beat. Defensively, they are as good as any team in the postseason. Let’s see what they’re made of here.
Lakers Come Up Successful
If Chris Paul isn’t healthy, there is no chance at victory for the Suns. The Lakers will win bigger at home.
FREE PLAY: LAKERS -7
OVER/UNDER: OVER 210
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