Lakers blow 20-point lead but win after Suns

PHOENIX — JJ Redick is a self-proclaimed “basketball sicko.” So naturally the Lakers coach would discover magnificence in the chaos of his group building a 20-point lead in the fourth quarter, dropping it in a maze of turnovers and missed pictures, then clawing out a 116-114 victory over the Phoenix Suns on Sunday behind clutch free throws from LeBron James.

“It’s gonna sound sick: I love winning games like this,” Redick said with a slight smile. “… Winning ugly is actually really fun because it means you got in the trenches and you fought.”

Ugly was only a technique to describe the win that featured 5 technicals, one ejection and a late 20-point lead that evaporated into a one-point deficit with 12.2 seconds remaining when Dillon Brooks hit what regarded like a dagger three-pointer over James.

Brooks, identified as one of the NBA’s top antagonists, then bumped chests with James, ensuing in a technical foul. Brooks had been jawing with James since the first quarter and was ejected for his second technical. James, who also picked up a technical reacting to Brooks in the third quarter, stepped to the road to shoot the potential tying free throw.

He missed.

Redick said Luka Doncic, who completed with a team-high 29 factors and made 13 of 14 free throws, ought to have shot the free throw. James didn’t hesitate.

“Why wouldn’t I?” said James, who scored 26 factors. “I mean, I’d have been OK with Luka taking it too. We’ve both been in pressure situations, but I just took it. I mean, unfortunately, I missed it, but I made up for it.”

James still hit the decisive free throws with 3.9 seconds remaining after drawing a foul on Devin Booker while making an attempt a three. James made two of three free throws, then blocked Grayson Allen’s shot with 0.7 seconds remaining to seal the Lakers’ ninth clutch-time win of the season.

Despite enjoying without Austin Reaves, who missed the sport because of a calf pressure, the Lakers (18-7) remained undefeated in video games within 5 factors in the ultimate 5 minutes, a good file unmatched by any other group.

“We stood together,” ahead Jarred Vanderbilt said. “… We didn’t panic and that’s the reason we’re 9-0 [in clutch games]. We go over late-game situations in practice a lot, being able to see it [and] execute in real time is just a testament to the whole group.”

In his first important enjoying time in more than a month, Vanderbilt led a tenacious bench that James said “won us the game.” Vanderbilt, who had fallen out of the rotation since James returned to the lineup, had seven factors, seven rebounds, two steals, a block and one major, fourth-quarter three-pointer.

After getting only 5 bench factors from anybody not named Marcus Smart in their loss to the San Antonio Spurs last week, the Lakers had a balanced 30 on Sunday, led by Jaxson Hayes’ 12 factors and 9 rebounds. Jake LaRavia added six factors, eight rebounds, two steals and two blocks.

Hustle performs from LaRavia and Hayes powered the Lakers to a 15-0 run to close the third quarter, highlighted by a ferocious, two-handed dunk from Hayes. LaRavia intercepted a move from Ryan Dunn and began the fast break, pausing in the paint to shovel a move to Hayes, who cocked the ball behind his head before slamming it over Oso Ighodaro and getting fouled to give the Lakers an 80-77 lead with 2:24 remaining in the quarter.

A dunk from LaRavia with 8:40 remaining in the fourth pushed the lead to 20 factors. The Lakers then let unfastened too early as Smart turned the ball over with a careless backward move over his head. Instead of taking what may have been an straightforward layup, Smart, who noticed Vanderbilt trailing the play and needed to reward the hard-working big man, blindly tossed the ball straight to Allen. Brooks sparked the Suns’ comeback with a three on the next possession.

The roar from the gang constructed as the Suns (14-12) sliced into the lead. They cut it to 9, the Lakers pushed it back to 14. Fans dressed in Lakers colours piped up, then sat down as the Suns grabbed momentum back. With James standing at the free-throw line in the ultimate seconds as the crowd reached its peak, middle Deandre Ayton, who completed with 20 factors and 13 rebounds, paused to pay attention.

“Hearing the environment, hearing how the oohs and the ahhs, people knowing the outcome if you make these shots,” Ayton said, “yeah, it was a movie again.”

The crowd’s roar continued even as James dropped behind the tunnel’s curtain.