Phoenix Suns vs Los Angeles Lakers Prediction: LA Doing Bad on the Road

If you ignore the NBA Summer League, Phoenix has won 10 straight in head-to-head meetings with the Lakers. Bookmakers expect the Suns' winning streak to extend - can Los Angeles do anything about it?

The Suns played their last six regular-season games without the injured Chris Paul, and the team had three wins during that stretch. Paul will also miss the Lakers, and Cameron Johnson is also in the sack. Five Phoenix players made 40% of their three-pointers during the six-game stretch: Devin Booker, Cameron Payne, Damion Lee, Landry Chamet, and Torrey Craig. Mikal Bridges was just shorthanded, so the Suns' offense as a whole was okay. Craig has made some progress in recent years, and Cameron Payne is the 2nd best offensive option, averaging 20.2 points in 6 games.

Monty Williams' team defeated New York on the road 116-95 in their last regular-season game. Phoenix led most of the game by 26 points heading into the fourth quarter. Devin Booker made five 3-pointers and gained 20. Cameron Payne was the top-scorer for the Suns with 21 points. He also had nine assists. The bench blew the game away, except for Damion Lee, who had four shots from beyond the arc. What's funny is that Phoenix had eight blocked shots while the club's primary center, Deandre Ayton, did not have a single block. Payne and Craig each blocked twice.

The Lakers have been without one of their leaders for quite some time: LeBron James has missed four straight games, but he could be back in action for the game against Phoenix. Nonetheless, the team has rebounded, won three straight, and is now 13th in the Western Conference. Anthony Davis averaged 35 points, 17.3 rebounds, 1.3 steals and 1.7 blocked shots over three games. Austin Reaves was a solid rebounder from beyond the arc, and Russell Westbrook was reminiscent of his old self in some games. Dennis Schroder and Thomas Bryant have recently returned from injury, so the club has reason to be optimistic.

The day before, Darvin Ham's team defeated San Antonio 123-92 at home. Nearly half of Lakes's points came in the paint, and Anthony Davis was again the team's high-scorer with 30 points. Four Lakers players scored 10 points or more: Kendrick Nunn, Dennis Schroder, Russell Westbrook, and Thomas Bryant.

• Los Angeles Lakers have lost six of their last six games on the road.
• The Lakers scored 114+ points in 4 of their last five games.

It's not just the results that have been encouraging for the Lakers of late. The team has become better at combinations, playing faster. Even in their lost game against Sacramento State, the Lakers had reason to be optimistic. Davis is in great form, Westbrook is slowly coming back to life, and Schroder should also help Los Angeles. Phoenix already had their troubles, and the offense could be in danger anytime. The Suns have a decent defense overall, but the 134 points against Utah the game before last is concerning.

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