The Los Angeles Lakers concluded the preseason on Thursday night at Acrisure Arena in Palm Springs, where they played their division rival Phoenix Suns.

Although these teams are scheduled to meet again the following week in the second regular season contest, Lakers head coach Darvin Ham used the preseason finale as a basic trial run, employing his regular starting lineup and healthy starters for approximately 2–5 quarters.

On the contrary, the Suns’ star backcourt of Bradley Beal and Devin Booker was rested by head coach Frank Vogel. On the contrary, Kevin Durant took part in the competition and encountered LeBron James in their first encounter since Christmas Day in 2018.

Despite a strong showing by Los Angeles’s starters in the second half, the reserve struggled predictably in the absence of a point guard; as a result, the Suns cruised to a 123-100 victory. Despite finishing the preseason with a 2-4 record, no further injuries were reported for the evening.

Davis scored the first point for the Lakers with an appealing floater that he converted after receiving a pass from D’Angelo Russell. Davis subsequently made a second uncontested layup in favor of Los Angeles, extending their lead to 7-0 and requiring Vogel to squander an early timeout.

Kevin Durant assisted the Suns in taking the lead with a pair of timeout free throws, but Austin Reaves’s open 3-pointer, the product of outstanding Lakers ball movement, helped the Lakers maintain early control.

Conversely, Davis showcased remarkable defensive prowess by amassing five blocks in the initial eight minutes of the match. Subsequently, the Lakers’ offense deteriorated, and the Suns regrouped to take a 24-20 lead in the second quarter.

Jaxson Hayes, who scored two goals off the bench, provided the Lakers with much-needed vitality. James retook the lead with a transition layup and a three-pointer subsequent to Hayes. With the Suns, however, Durant began to acquire momentum with nine consecutive points.

In the end, Davis re-entered the game and restored equilibrium by making two three-pointers and one three-point attempt. The Lakers then extended their lead to double digits through the utilization of three-pointers, with LeBron James registering two and Reaves adding one. Nevertheless, a brief Suns revival was orchestrated by Durant and Eric Gordon, resulting in a reduction of their halftime deficit to 58-54.

Durant concluded his performance during intermission, while the Laker starters, as expected, completed a fleeting stint in the third quarter. Despite their efforts, they were unable to build a substantial advantage, and the last eighteen minutes of the preseason were characterized by a battle of the benches.

As expected, the Lakers struggled to close out the third quarter in which the Suns gained possession, missing all of their point guards. They extended their lead to sixteen points at 89-73 in the third quarter after Keita Bates-Diop beat the buzzer.

As a result of the Lakers’ dearth of ball-handlers, Max Christie completed the game with some valuable point guard minutes and managed to drain a few goals despite the lopsided loss.