Doncic owns up to nine-turnover night as Suns end Lakers’ seven-game streak

The Lakers’ seven-game triumph streak ended Monday successful a 125-108 location nonaccomplishment to the Phoenix Suns, and Luka Doncic did not look for excuses. “That was my fault,” Doncic said. “No mode I tin person 9 turnovers successful a game.”

He came retired scorching with 20 first-quarter points, his 3rd crippled successful 4 with astatine slightest 20 successful the opening period, and L.A. was level astatine 31-31. The crippled flipped successful the 2nd quarter. Doncic coughed up 4 turnovers successful that stretch, Austin Reaves added 4 of his five, and Phoenix blew the contention unfastened with a 35-21 frame.

“I consciousness similar it decidedly was a antithetic defence than different teams [play],” Doncic said. “Kind of trying to fto maine spell people alternatively of creating for others. So, it was benignant of confusing, but similar I said, conscionable can't person it.”

His 9 giveaways tied a vocation high, and each of them became Suns steals, the astir live-ball turnovers by immoderate subordinate successful a crippled this season.

Suns’ size and physicality choke disconnected Lakers’ offense

Coach JJ Redick pointed consecutive astatine Suns halfway Mark Williams, whom the Lakers concisely traded for past play earlier the woody was rescinded. “Mark Williams did a large occupation of conscionable being big. He's got the second-highest lasting scope successful the NBA,” Redick said, noting that Phoenix ne'er adjacent needed to blitz. “Whether it was post-up, whether it was an off-ball thing, whether it was pick-and-roll, helium conscionable was successful the mediate of the overgarment the full time.”

Their guards, Redick added, “did a bully occupation of being carnal and forcing america down there, and erstwhile you're down determination successful that choky space, you're not going to get the shot through, and that led to a batch of turnovers.”

Doncic inactive finished with 38 points, 11 rebounds and 5 assists. Reaves had 16 points, portion LeBron James was held to 10 points with 3 assists and 3 turnovers, yet helium extended his grounds to 1,297 consecutive games successful treble figures with a fourth-quarter 3.

“Turnovers, modulation points,” James said of the loss. “You can't crook the shot implicit that much. And they were beauteous overmuch each pick-sixes.” Phoenix, down Dillon Brooks’ 33 points and Collin Gillespie’s 28, hammered L.A. 28-2 successful fast-break scoring.

With the Lakers present 15-5 and facing a roadworthy plaything done Toronto, Boston and Philadelphia, Redick knows changes are coming. “You got to look astatine everything, everything,” helium said. “Rotations, schemes, each that stuff.”