close
close

Final result Lakers vs. Suns: Anthony Davis leads comeback win

After falling behind by 22 points in the first half, the Lakers stormed back in the second half to go 2-0 on the season, defeating the Suns 123-116.

Anthony Davis and Austin Reaves shouldered much of the offensive load. AD finished with 35 points, eight rebounds, four assists, one steal and two blocks. Austin scored 26 points to go with eight assists and three steals.

After a slow first half with just four points, LeBron James finished the game with 21 points, four rebounds and eight assists. Rui Hachimura scored 14 points, including a big late three-pointer, and seven rebounds.

Kevin Durant opened the scoring with one of his seemingly automatic three-pointers. The Lakers then took the lead after a dunk from AD, but KD did a little bit of everything and scored confidently. Austin was the top scorer for LA, only missing one shot.

After a game with only seven turnovers against the Timberwolves, the Lakers quickly had four turnovers in the first game. Phoenix extended its lead to eight thanks to a mini run from Devin Booker. The suns shot their lights from behind the arch.

At the end of the first period, LA trailed by 15 points.

Phoenix started the second round with another three-pointer and a layup to beat LA by 20 points. The Suns put on a show as they couldn't miss and killed any energy the Lakers had.

Dalton Knecht came in and knocked down two three-pointers, giving the team and crowd some life, but KD silenced the ball with a mid-range shot.

The dynamic started to change as the Lakers started taking more shots and defending much better. LA played much harder than Phoenix, who looked disheveled. This was quickly remedied by Devin and KD hitting back-to-back shots.

Still, LA was only nine points behind at halftime.

The second half started well for the Lakers. They woke up behind the arc as Austin and LeBron canceled three points and the purple and gold were down just one point.

After two free throws from AD, LA led by one. The Suns then took the lead by three. Both teams heated up their offense. After the Lakers struggled again, Phoenix took a seven-man lead.

Things quickly changed again as the Lakers retook the lead with an 8-0 run capped by a three-pointer from Gabe Vincent. A nice back and forth to end the quarter with the Lakers leading by two.

The final frame began with a fadeaway from LeBron, who increased his point total to 17 after a slow start in the first half. LA's lead increased to four after a strong dunk from Rui. Austin drilled a three-pointer and LA rocked offensively.

Phoenix slowly tried to get back into the game, cutting the deficit to six after LA went up by double digits. Austin hit another three-pointer, and then D'Angelo, who was struggling, drilled a three-pointer. Los Angeles was up 12 with six minutes left.

It was a seven-point game after two free throws from KD. The Lakers took the lead by nine after a dunk from AD and an assist from LeBron. While the Lakers were still on top, Phoenix tried to get closer and closer.

A three-pointer from Rui eclipsed the Suns' attempt to come back. Phoenix tried to extend the game with a foul, but it wasn't in their favor.

Key Takeaways:

After shooting so poorly from behind the arc early in the game, LA woke up and shot much better. This will likely be a big trend this season. They heat up at different times.

They played great defense which helped them come back from a 22 point deficit. Strong defense will be crucial for this team.

AD's MVP case is off to a good start this season. He was incredible.

The Lakers' next game is Saturday at 7:30 p.m. PT against the Sacramento Kings.

You can follow Karin on Twitter at @KarinAbcarians.