The first Los Angeles Lakers playoff game at Staples Center since 2013 wasn’t quite Showtime, but the fans still got what they wanted.
The Lakers topped the Phoenix Suns 106-93 to take a 2-1 series lead in the first round. The win is the defending champions’ first playoff win at their old stadium since 2012, having played all of last postseason at Disney World.
The NBA’s top regular season defense by defensive rating was on full display, holding the Suns to 19-of-42 shooting in the paint. Devin Booker also struggled, shooting 6-of-19 for 19 points and getting ejected in the final minute of the game after a hard foul on Dennis Schroder.
Meanwhile, Anthony Davis had a second-straight monster game, posting 34 points and 11 rebounds. After a rough Game 1 (13 points, 5-of-16 shooting), Davis now has 68 points in his last two games.
The Lakers also continued a complete swap of Montezl Harrell for Marc Gasol at center behind Andre Drummond. Gasol has seen significant minutes off the bench since a DNP in Game 1, while Harrell hasn’t played a minute since playing 15 minutes in Game 1. Given the threat of Deandre Ayton, that’s not a surprise.
