Kyle Kuzma, Talen Horton-Tucker Shine as Lakers Beat Deandre Ayton, Suns
With their top two stars back on the court for the first time since winning the NBA Finals in October, the Los Angeles Lakers continued their sweep of the preseason with a 112-107 victory over the Phoenix Suns on Wednesday.
For the Lakers, Kyle Kuzma had 23 points, three rebounds and two assists in 32 minutes. Talen Horton-Tucker, who paced the team through its first two preseason games against the Los Angeles Clippers, posted 18 points, five rebounds and two assists in 24 minutes.
Anthony Davis added 10 points and four rebounds in 18 first-half minutes, while LeBron James collected 11 points, two rebounds and two assists in 15 minutes.
Devin Booker and Mikal Bridges had been bright spots for Phoenix through two games against the Utah Jazz thus far, but it was Deandre Ayton who led them through Wednesday's loss.
Notable Performers
- Kyle Kuzma, SF, Lakers: 23 PTS, 3 REB, 2 AST
- Deandre Ayton, C, Suns: 21 PTS, 9 REB, 1 AST
- Talen Horton-Tucker, SG, Lakers: 18 PTS, 5 REB, 2 AST
- Devin Booker, SG, Suns: 16 PTS, 4 REB, 7 AST
Deandre Ayton Steps Up
A No. 1 pick by the Suns out of Arizona, Ayton could finally grow into his potential this season, his third in the league. But his second preseason outing as the Suns fell to Utah didn't necessarily show that.
After an 11-point, 14-rebound outing in 22 minutes during Saturday's preseason debut, when the Suns fell 119-105, Ayton had a miserable four-point game Monday, hitting just two of seven attempts from the field as the team fell 111-92. After the game, coach Monty Williams acknowledged that he is looking for more from the big this season.
"DA has got to enforce and impose his will," Williams told reporters. "He's got to get in great shape so that he can be as dominant as he was in Orlando and in moments last season."
Ayton attributed some of his struggle to the altitude in Salt Lake City. Whether it was the altitude change or not, he had a much better time back at home against the Lakers on Wednesday.
He added 21 points, nine rebounds and an assist through 25 minutes, with nine points and three rebounds in the first seven minutes of the game. After a quiet second quarter, he posted 12 points in the third quarter as the Suns outscored the Lakers 39-16.
With veteran leaders Chris Paul and Jae Crowder joining young stars Ayton, Booker and Bridges, the consensus is that the Suns are in a position to make the playoffs for the first time since the 2009-10 season, but Ayton will need to step up in order for Phoenix to live up to these lofty expectations.
Talen Horton-Tucker's Time
The No. 46 pick in last year's draft, Horton-Tucker was the star of the Lakers' first two preseason outings in the absence of James and Davis. He played most of the season in the G League before traveling with the team to the NBA bubble—and as a result, the NBA Finals.
The 6'4" Iowa State product averaged 18.1 points, 6.1 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 1.4 steals in 38 outings with the South Bay Lakers last season.
Having just turned 20 on Nov. 25, his preseason performance has shown that he can hang, even on a roster that only added more talent in the offseason with Dennis Schroder, Montrezl Harrell, Wesley Matthews and Marc Gasol.
He entered Wednesday's game off a head-turning 33-point, 10-rebound performance against the Clippers that impressed one of his teammates, in particular.
Against the Suns, his role was reduced because of the presence of James and Davis for the first time, but he still managed to find 18 points, five rebounds and a pair of assists in 24 minutes.
What's Next?
The two teams will close out the abbreviated preseason with another meeting Friday at 10:30 p.m. ET. They will meet again in Los Angeles on March 2.
