Phoenix Suns rally late to stun Los Angeles Lakers 92-86: NBA Recap
On Wednesday night, Phoenix Suns rallied late in the piece and spoiled Steve Nash homecoming with a 92-86 upset over Los Angeles Lakers here at the US Airways Center.
Michael Beasley led the Suns with 27 points and 6 rebounds coming off the bench, Marcin Gortat posted a double-double with 14 points and 12 rebounds, while Goran Dragic had 11 points and dished out 8 assists.
Kobe Bryant led Los Angeles Lakers with 17 points and 9 assists; Metta World Peace had 15 points; Dwight Howard grabbed 14 rebounds and posted 9 points while Steve Blake contributed only 2 points in his 16 minutes on the court.
“I thought we had some open shots and didn't knock them down," Lakers Coach Mike D'Antoni said post game. "We missed some foul shots; we had six or seven turnovers in the fourth quarter. Turnovers all night killed us."
Lakers committed 19 turnovers on the night; and their poor showing can be judged from the fact that their star point guard, Steve Nash, had as many turnovers as assists (2) in the game.
"Early on, there were games where I didn't get on the floor. It's hard to play not to make a mistake. It's on your mind and you're going to do it. Now I know when I'm playing in the first half, when I'm playing in the second half.
I know my minutes and I'm able to play free." Michael Beasley commented on the win.
Los Angeles Lakers took some time to get things going and Phoenix took full advantage of it to go in front early in the first quarter. They maintained the pressure for most of the period and were leading 26-22 by the end of it.
Second quarter was the coldest one in the game with a total of 34 points scored in it. Lakers outscored the Suns 19-15 to negate their first quarter advantage and headed into the locker room with the score all square on 41.
Lakers shifted gears in the third period and started pulling ahead at breakneck speed. The outscored the Suns by ten points to cement their authority on the game. However, it was not meant to be their night, as Suns restricted
Lakers to 13 points in the final quarter and scored 29 points themselves to squeak out a 92-86 win. The Lakers struggles in the fourth quarter were magnified by their turnovers and a shoulder injury to Dwight Howard early on. Howard did not return to the game.
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