Luka Dončić shined in his preseason debut, but the Lakers fell to the Suns for their third preseason loss, 113-104.
With Luka and Austin Reaves on the court, the Lakers controlled the game even without a multitude of rotation players. But as the team exited the game in the second half, Phoenix came back into the game after trailing by 15 points.
Luka finished with 25 points, seven rebounds and four assists in 22 minutes. Austin Reaves followed with 25 points, four rebounds and two assists in 29 minutes.
Deandre Ayton had 10 points, 13 rebounds, three blocks and two steals. Marcus Smart had a very quiet start as he didn’t attempt a shot, picked up an assist and committed two fouls in 20 minutes.
Nick Smith Jr. scored eight points. Jake LaRavia had eight points, eight rebounds and three assists. Bronny James had seven points, three rebounds, two assists and a block.
Former Laker Jordan Goodwin had a huge game, finishing with 24 points, six assists, four rebounds and a steal.
The Suns were without most of their usual roster, which included Devin Booker, Dillon Brooks and Jalen Green.
Former Laker Jordan Goodwin started things off with a layup. Luka missed his first shot, but made his second shot, drawing a foul and completing the three-point play.
Phoenix’s Jared Butler had seven of his nine points. Reaves got off to a good start for LA with four points. The Lakers took a seven-point lead after a LaRavia three-pointer, forcing a Suns timeout.
From the break, Luka threw a lob to Ayton, who connected on the dunk. Los Angeles also converted on two 3-pointers from Luka and Bronny James. By the end of the first, purple and gold were up seven.
The second quarter was dominated by the pair of Luka and Reaves, who did everything offensively for the Lakers. Reaves opened the quarter with a strong start, including a dunk.
Luka checked in halfway and took the reins. He set up a pair of threes from Nick Smith Jr., the first after rebounding his own missed free throw.
He also scored numerous goals, connecting on a barrage of 3-pointers. He capped his incredible half with a step-back jumper from beyond the arc, giving him 22 points in the first half.
At halftime, Los Angeles led by 10. Reaves and Luka combined for 40 points on 12-20 shooting.
LA started the second half strong with Luka and Reaves combining for five quick points. Khaman Maluach had an impressive game for the Suns with 15 points. The Suns managed to tie the game with a massive 22-7 run, while the Lakers played sloppy with 13 turnovers.
Goodwin was fouled on a 3-point shot, which he drained and finished the game at four points.
Luka and Reaves were done for the rest of the match. The Suns outscored LA 33-16 during the quarter. Phoenix had a lead of six heading into the final quarter.
The Lakers started the final period with a five-second violation. They put things right with RJ Davis stealing the ball and converting a layup on the other end. Goodwin’s revenge game continued as he scored again on a layup.
Although the Suns took complete control of the game, Los Angeles was still very much involved until Phoenix scored a pair of 3-pointers to make it a 10-point game with 8:12 to play. Nate Williams scored five points quickly to make things interesting.
LA fought well, having an answer every time the Suns wanted to pull away from their lead. Bronny now had seven points. He was aggressive and attacked the paint.
Butler was still unconscious on the court with a total of 33 points. The Lakers made a few shots, but missed them and couldn’t come back.
The turnovers are not good. Don’t turn the ball over.
The Luka-Ayton connection is going to be special as they spend more time together.
You can follow Karin on Twitter at @KarinAbcariens.
