Lakers vs Suns: scores, stats, highlights, updates...

The play of the game with under a minute to go

The Los Angeles Lakers got back to their winning ways at the Staples Center with an important 123-110 win over the Phoenix Suns.

The Lakers completed a wire to wire win, while keeping and arms distance from the visitors. LA jumped out to an early lead, and remained up by double digits for a large portion of the contest. The Suns cut it to eight points late in the fourth but they never seemed comfortable on the offensive end.

AD Back to playing his best ball

There was LeBron, there was Dennis Schoelder, but there was plenty ot of Anthony Davis. AD went for 42 points in what was without question his best game since coming back from injury almost a month ago. The Brow also grabbed 12 boards and maybe most comforting for Laker fans was his intensity, and aggression coming off the injury.

Suns never rose to occasion in Staples Center

Chris Paul had three quick turnovers in the opening quarter, and it seemed to throw his out os synch. Paul ended with 13 points and 10 assists, but as he struggled to find his groove, so too did the Suns.

Devin Booker, who was held to just five made field goals, finished with 21 points. Cameron Payne had one of his best outings of the season, scoring 24 points in a losing effort.

Just four games left to make a charge up the table

The Suns fall farther behind the Western Conference leading Jazz after the loss in the Staples Center (48-20). The Lakers improve to (38-30) and sit a game back from the Trail Blazers, who hold the head to head tie breaker.

Just four games remain for both of these teams, and don’t be surprised if we see a replay  of this match-up come playoff time.

It's all over from the Staples Center

AD saving the best for last, high low game finished off with a spectacular dunk. 41 points for Davis

AD going to the line, stretches the lead to ten

Timeout on the floor, and less than 90 seconds remain.

Paul with a jumper

Caldwell-Pope with a couple free throws

3 minutes to go in LA

Under 4 to go, AD at the line, where he has missed just once all night, hits one.

Atyon with a spin and reverse. The lead is down to 7

Kaminsky at the line hits both.

Paul with a bucket, and the Suns need to focus on getting stops.

AD punches right back, he's flirting with fourty

Ayton with just his second bucket of the night.

Matthews hits the and one FT

Matthews on the backdoor cut, hits the lay up and getting a free throw when we come back from time out.

Paul with a long ball. The lead is down to 10

Payne again, he's got 24

Harrell with the put back off the AD Miss

Payne with a triple try, he's go a season high 22. Time out for the Lakers

Payne on the penetration.

Kaminsky with a short range bucket

Crowder from downtown

Montrez Harrell with the counter.

Payne on the reverse.

Caruso on a dash to the dish, gets the bucket and 1, doesn't hit the FT

Caruso out of the time out with a mid range jumper.

Crowder with a coupe of treys in a row

Crowder with a three ball

Harrell with a couple of FTs

Fourth and final quarter coming up from the Staples Center, and it has been all Lakers tonight.

McLemore for three right before the end of the quarter

Back to the largest lead of the game for the Lakers at 18

Harrell with a deuce

Under a minute to go in the third.

Caldwell-Pope with a three, KCP with 15 points tonight.

Payne going to the line after the Gasol foul. Hits both and he's having a perfect night from the field and the line

AD going back to the line, missed his first of the FT, but hit the second

Payne from deep!

AD again! He's got 33

Booker with two free throws

Davis to the line where he's perfect tonight, he has 31

Payne with a deuce, and we've go a time out on the floor.

Davis answers back

Booker hits one of two from the line

AD to the free throw line, hits both, and he's got 27

McLemore ends that mini run with the Suns with a three

Quick 5-0 run from the Suns have the lead down to 11

McLemore for three!

Booker collects his own rebound, and hits the FT line jumper

Kaminsky fouled on the drive, hits one of two from the line.

AD for three off the timeout!

Bridges with a deep ball before the shot clock runs out.

Caruso with back to back fouls, picking up number four. He's headed to the bench.

Matthews with a quick trigger three

Caruso hits both from the line

Booker to the line, hits both

Caldwell-Pope with a corner three

Drummond on the follow

Booker drops the and 1

Matthew with a triple

If the Suns are going to get back in this game they have to limit their TO's

We are back in action from the Staples Center

The Lakers led that entire first half. They have kept the Suns quiet on the offensive end, forcing them into a lot of turnovers.

Anthony Davis is the leading scorer through the first half with 22 points

We are at halftime from the Staples Center. with LA Leading Pheonix 47-59

Bridges in transition off the feed from Paul

Booker, with a layup down low

AD to the line, got both to drop

Under a minute to go in the first half. Booker hits both FTs

Crowder going to the line for two free throws after getting fouled on a long two. Hits both

Caldwell-Pope goes tot he FT line, hits both

Under two minutes to go

AD now has 20 points!

Booker with a bucket off the timeout

Caldwell-Powell with a corner three!!!

Kaminsky with the mid range J

AD with 18 after his latest made bucket

Under four to go in the first half

Horton-Tucker on the drive!

Gasol fouled, gets one of two

Saric to the charity stripe, hit's both. A little over five minutes to go in the second half

Davis hits the technical FT after Paul gets T'ed up

Davis going back to work, he's got 15

Paul on the turn around from a step inside the FT line

Caruso going back to the line, missed both

Bridges with the bucket and the foul, hits the FT

Caruso to the line, splits the two FTs

Ayton with an easy bucket down low

Drummond showing some presistance with the second and third attempt.

McLemore from three point land!!

Bridges gliding to the basket off the assist from Paul

Caruso gets the and 1 and converts the free throw

Booker for three!

Horton-Tucker with a corner 3, he's on the board for the first time tonight

Paul from the same spot he ended the first quarter with.

The Lakers came out hot in that opening quarter, and they were led by AD who came out firing

Paul on the buzzer beater for his first points of the night.

Under 30 seconds to go in the 1st

Craig on the offensive rebound, taps it in

Harrell on the leaner in the lane!

Davis back in the game, gets fouled and hits both

Crowder fouled on the triple by McLemore, he'll go to the line to shoot 3. Crowder hits two of three

Payne whistled for a T before the time out, KCP hits the extra FT. Now Harrell at the line misses both

A little over 3000 fans are at the Staples Center tonight.

Kaminsky again from in the paint

Tucker with a three ball

Kaminsky on a step back from the FT Line

Payne from outside!!

Harrell comes in to the game for the first time, goes to the line, hits both

Davis with the turn around jumper on the baseline. He's already in double digits

Caruso in the corner for three

Booker with his first fg on the night

AD downlow again!!

With no LeBron AD is going to be the man tonight, he's off to a hot start

Anthony Davis swarmed by defenders down low, but it didn't matter. He's got six quick points, and the Suns take a time out

Drummond to the line, hits both and the Lakers have led since the start

Davis with the basket from close range

Payne with a 3 in the corner!

Booker with the first point of the game from the FT line

AD with a one handed slam off the lob from Drummond. Pretty high low game worked from the big boys in the paint

Caruso with an early bucket to get his name on the board

We are underway, with the Lakers with the first possesion. Caldwell-Pope with a 3 to start us off

Both starting fives are on the floor, we are ready for tip from the Staples Center

Battle to stay out of the Play-In Tournament: Portland will square up against Houston tomrrow night. The Blazers are a game ahead of the Lakers who sit in seventh and would have to play in the first ever Play-In Tournament.

The chase for the top: The Jazz will play the Warriors tommorrow night, and all eyes in Phoenix will be on the first seen in the West in the showdown from California. But the Suns have to take care of buisness here tonight before they look ahead.

According to bet365.com the Suns are a 7 point favorite, and the over under is set at 217

We are less than 20 minutes away from tip here from Los Angeles

Phoenix won the first two games against the Lakers: The won the first game 114-104 and the second game in LA they won 94-111

Frank Vogel on Anthony Davis' game agiasnt the Trail Blazers: "This is his best game since his return, for sure, He's getting a little bit stronger each game. It's a very encouraging sign."

A look at the Phoenix Suns 2020/2021 roster

Here is the 2020/2021 Los Angeles Lakers roster

This year marks the first year we have a Play-In Tournament for the 7-10 seeds. Here's the breakdown

The Staples Center will be the stage for tonight's showdown. The Lakers are sitting in seventh place, and would be in the Play-In Tournament if the regular season eneded today.

Here's a rundown of the Western Conference standings coming into tonights game

Hello everyone and welcome to Los Angeles, Thanks for joining us from The Staples Center where AS English will be keeping you covered on live scores, updates and stats throughout tonights game between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Phoenix Suns.

The Los Angeles Lakers come into tonights game sitting in seventh in the West, which would put them in the Play-In zone if the season ended today. They are just a game behind Portland for that sixth spot.

The Suns sit a game off pace from where they want to be as well. Phoenix has been one of the surprises of the season and are just a game away from first place in the Western Conference.

There are just five games remaining in the regular season, and the Lakers hold a 37-30 record, while the Suns sit at 48-19.

Devin Booker is the top dog for the home side, averaging over 25 points a night, while Chris Paul has been showing all season that he hasn’t lost a step after 17 seasons in the NBA.

LeBron James will miss tonight’s game as he continues to heal a sore ankle. Dennis Schroder is also out due to the NBA’s health and safety protocols.  Anthony Davis will be playing in his ninth game since returning from and achilles injury.

The Suns are coming off of a 128-105 home win over the New York Knicks. Deandre Ayton led all scorers with 26 points in a second half route that saw Phoenix win the last two quarters 72-42.

The Lakers dropped a decision to a direct rival in the lower part of the playoff pictures. The Trail Blazers bumped the Lakers off 106-101 putting them a game back of sixth place. LA have lost eight of their last 10.