Suns Dismantle Lakers 115-85 To Take 3-2 Series Lead –

The LA Lakers have lost all three games to the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference first round, and have had their season end in dramatic fashion; their sixth consecutive playoff loss.

In an entertaining game that saw the Los Angeles Lakers take a 2-1 lead in the 2016 Western Conference Finals, the Suns put an end to a nightmarish series for the Lakers by destroying the Lakers 115-85 in Game 4 at the Staples Center Thursday night. The Suns blew open the game early with a 19-0 run that put the Lakers in a 25-4 hole that they never recovered from.

PHOENIX (CBS/AP) – Devin Booker scored 30 points after two quiet games and the Phoenix Suns sent LeBron James to the locker room early and beat the Los Angeles Lakers 115-85 Tuesday night to take a 3-2 lead in the first round of the series. word-image-9057 Wesley Matthews #9 of the Los Angeles Lakers reacts to another foul on Chris Paul (not pictured) of the Phoenix Suns during the second half of Game 5 of the first round of the Western Conference playoffs at Phoenix Suns Arena on 01. June 2021 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo: Christian Petersen/Getty Images) The Suns won Sunday in Los Angeles to keep the series tied. In Game 5, they played against the Lakers without Anthony Davis, in front of a cheering crowd. READ MORE: AMC, Regal, Cinemark reduce mask requirements, but faces remain covered in California cinemas. Davis gave up after his groin injury in Game 4, and the Suns took advantage by attacking at every opportunity. The Lakers offered little resistance, allowing Phoenix to score almost at will and build a 30-point lead at halftime – Los Angeles’ largest lead at halftime in 25 years. We had some really good chances, but we just didn’t score. We’re literally not hitting the target, James said. My job is to discover boys, find them, get them into a rhythm and stay in a rhythm myself. We don’t throw much. The Suns hit 14 three-pointers and made just four turnovers against the NBA’s leader in defensive efficiency in the regular season. The only bad news: Point guard Chris Paul suffered a blow to his right shoulder in the third quarter and did not return. James scored 17 of his 24 points in the third quarter, but couldn’t shake the impotent Lakers. The four-time MVP sat alone on the bench in the fourth quarter and went to the locker room with five minutes to play. I don’t know, we just got ahead of ourselves, simple as that, James said. They accomplished everything they wanted in this game. We have to be better if we want to win in the seventh game. We have a lot to learn in this match, a lot to work on and see what we can do better in match six. But mostly they just kicked us. …. That’s all there is to it. Game 6 will be played in Los Angeles on Thursday. The series between the former rivals has been marred by injuries. The Suns won the first game in the desert despite Paul’s shoulder injury. Los Angeles won the next two games with an ailing Paul, then Phoenix won game 4 102-94 in Los Angeles after Davis was out with a groin injury. The Suns took advantage of Davis’ absence early in Game 5 by repeatedly going to the lineup for three-pointers or kicks for open looks. Booker was the biggest beneficiary. READ MORE: Federal judge orders Bank Of America to freeze EDD accounts suspected of fraud. He was relatively quiet in the previous two games – at least for one of the league’s leading scorers – scoring a total of 36 points with 11 of 24 attempts. The young All-Star got off to a great start in the decisive game of the series, scoring 18 points in the first quarter and giving the Suns an 18-point lead early in the second quarter with a corner kick. Booker wasn’t the only one throwing punches. The Suns operated on a reach and rush basis against the L.A. defense, preventing the Lakers from taking advantage of their speed and quick throw moves. Phoenix made eight three-pointers, 26 of 48, and led 66-36 at halftime. According to SportRadar, it was the Lakers’ largest lead at halftime since Utah lost by 26 points in 1998. The Suns didn’t let up, even though James became more aggressive in the third quarter, and went into the final 12 minutes with a 29-point lead. FULL OF HOLLY FUZZ Paul injured his shoulder midway through the third quarter when he clinched with Lakers guard Wesley Matthews in a battle for the rebound and fell to the ground. Paul pointed to Matthews as he rose from the floor and was immediately backed up by the Phoenix coaches. Paul gets up after a minute and walks around, causing the crowd to start chanting MVP! He came back into the game, made two free throws and received a big round of applause before heading to the locker room for treatment. Paul had nine points and six assists. TIP INS Lakers: Kyle Kuzma was the only Los Angeles player with 15 points. … Markieff Morris, who started the game in place of Davis, scored four points with a 1-on-2 shot. The Sun: Cam Payne has given Phoenix a nice boost, especially after Paul’s departure. The reserve point guard scored 16 points with 7-of-11 attempts. … Mikal Bridges had a good game with 13 points, six rebounds and three assists. … Booker made 13 of 23 shots from the field. MORE NEWS : San Jacinto caregiver arrested for stealing jewelry from senior citizen (© Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, transcribed or distributed).