LeBron James, Lakers Defense Ripped By NBA Fans in Loss to Suns with Luka Out Injured

It turns out Luka Dončić is fairly important for the Los Angeles Lakers.

With the five-time All-Star sidelined, the Phoenix Suns defeated the Lakers with ease 132-108 on Tuesday at Mortgage Matchup Center. Devin Booker notched a double-double of 21 points and 11 assists as all five Suns starters scored in double figures.

Dillon Brooks also shined with 25 points, while Mark Williams added 18 points and nine rebounds against the team that nearly traded for him last season.

LeBron James did what he could with 23 points and six assists, but a shorthanded Lakers squad that was also without Rui Hachimura and had Austin Reaves coming off the bench didn't have enough firepower to keep pace.

It also didn't help that they once again struggled on the defensive side, which drew reaction from social media:

Dončić's health was the major storyline coming into the contest, as he was sidelined with a calf contusion. It wasn't all bad news for Los Angeles with Reaves and Deandre Ayton returning to the lineup, but the former came off the bench in a smaller role.

There will be better days for the Purple and Gold, but the lineup was not the right one for a team searching for consistency. While they are still a solid 19-9 on the season despite the loss, they are just 4-5 in their last nine games.

Injuries are a large part of that recent mark, but the Suns also deserve plenty of credit for Tuesday's result.

They exploded for 45 points in the third quarter alone after building a 10-point halftime lead, which made the fourth quarter nothing more than a formality.

The outside shooting from Brooks, Royce O'Neale and Collin Gillespie proved to be a problem for the Lakers, especially when they committed too many defenders to Booker.

Booker being a willing facilitator also opened up the offense for the home team, which had no problem putting the game away against a Los Angeles squad that is an ugly 23rd in the league in defensive rating, per NBA.com.

The 16-13 Suns now have some momentum heading into Friday's game against the New Orleans Pelicans, while the Lakers will try to rediscover their form during Dončić's potential return when they host the Houston Rockets in a high-profile showdown on Christmas Day.