Los Angeles Lakers at Phoenix Suns
· National Basketball AssociationLeBron James hits 2 late free throws, Lakers beat Suns 116-114 after blowing 20-point lead
Phoenix trailed 99-79 with 7:48 left, but took a 114-113 lead with 12.2 seconds left on Dillon Brooks' 3-pointer over James, who made contact with Brooks after the shot. Brooks bumped James on the way back down the court, earning his second technical foul and an ejection.
More importantly, it gave the Lakers a free throw, but James missed it.
On the ensuing possession, James was fouled on a 3-point attempt by Devin Booker with 3.9 seconds left. The 40-year-old James — who finished with 26 points — missed the first free throw but made the final two to give the Lakers a 115-114 lead.
Phoenix's Grayson Allen got up an awkward shot at the buzzer, but it was off the mark.
Jaxson Hayes threw down a powerful dunk over Phoenix's Oso Ighodaro to give the Lakers a 79-77 lead with 2:24 left in the third quarter. It was part of a 24-0 run over an eight-minute span in the third and fourth quarters that ended with a 95-77 advantage.
Lakers center Deandre Ayton had 20 points and 13 rebounds against his former team. Ayton played his first five NBA seasons in Phoenix after being selected with the No. 1 overall pick in 2018.
Los Angeles had a season-high 24 offensive rebounds, which helped offset a tough shooting night. Doncic was 7 of 25 from the field, including 2 of 14 from 3-point range.
Booker led the Suns with 27 points, returning to the lineup after missing three games with a groin injury. The four-time All-Star made 13 of 16 free throws.
The Suns have lost six of their last nine.
Suns: Host Golden State on Thursday night.
Regular Season Series
Series tied 1-1
Recent Plays
| 4th 0.0 |  |
End of Game | 116 - 114 |
| 4th 0.0 | |
End of the 4th Quarter | 116 - 114 |
| 4th 0.0 |  |
Royce O'Neale defensive rebound | 116 - 114 |
| 4th 0.0 |  |
Marcus Smart misses free throw 2 of 2 | 116 - 114 |
| 4th 0.0 | |
Marcus Smart makes free throw 1 of 2 | 116 - 114 |
Statistics
 LAL |
 PHX |
|
|---|---|---|
| 38-88 | FG | 40-82 |
| 43 | Field Goal % | 49 |
| 7-37 | 3PT | 13-37 |
| 19 | Three Point % | 35 |
| 33-43 | FT | 21-25 |
| 77 | Free Throw % | 84 |
| 54 | Rebounds | 37 |
| 24 | Offensive Rebounds | 10 |
| 30 | Defensive Rebounds | 27 |
| 20 | Assists | 29 |
| 13 | Steals | 11 |
| 8 | Blocks | 5 |
| 21 | Turnovers | 19 |
| 1 | Team Turnovers | 1 |
| 22 | Total Turnovers | 20 |
| 2 | Technical Fouls | 4 |
| 2 | Total Technical Fouls | 4 |
| 0 | Flagrant Fouls | 0 |
| 36 | Points Conceded Off Turnovers | 31 |
| 12 | Fast Break Points | 18 |
| 50 | Points in Paint | 44 |
| 23 | Fouls | 28 |
| 20 | Largest Lead | 8 |
| 4 | Lead Changes | 4 |
| 48 | Percent Led | 46 |
Phoenix Suns Injuries
| NAME, POS | STATUS | DATE |
|---|---|---|
| Isaiah Livers, F | Out | Dec 13 |
| Koby Brea, G | Out | Dec 10 |
| Jalen Green, G | Out | Nov 11 |
Los Angeles Lakers Injuries
| NAME, POS | STATUS | DATE |
|---|---|---|
| Maxi Kleber, F | Out | Dec 13 |
| Austin Reaves, G | Out | Dec 12 |
Game Information
Location: Phoenix, AZ
Attendance: 17,071 · Capacity:
2025-26 Pacific Standings
| TEAM | W | L | PCT | GB | STRK |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 LA Lakers |
18 | 7 | .720 | - | W1 |
 Phoenix |
14 | 12 | .538 | 4.5 | L2 |
 Golden State |
13 | 14 | .481 | 6 | L2 |
 Sacramento |
6 | 20 | .231 | 12.5 | L3 |
 LA Clippers |
6 | 20 | .231 | 12.5 | L4 |
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