The Los Angeles Lakers suffered their third consecutive loss after falling 113-110 to the Phoenix Suns on Thursday at the Mortgage Matchup Center.
Royce O'Neal was the unlikely hero for the depleted Suns, draining the game-winning three-pointer with 0.9 seconds remaining.
The Lakers had a chance to send the game to overtime, but Austin Reaves missed his last-gasp attempt from deep. They fell to 34-24, while the Suns improved to 34-26.
Lakers coach JJ Redick once again cited a lack of defensive effort as a big factor in their latest loss, The Athletic's Dan Woik reports.
"JJ Redick talked about the Lakers limiting their shooters not in terms of shots but in terms of attempts. The Suns took 50 (three-pointers). Said that's the part that 'hurt us a lot,'" Woik wrote on the X.
The Lakers shot a better 51% from the field compared to the Suns' 46%. However, Phoenix had 11 more three-pointers, going 22 of 50 from long range.
Los Angeles is allowing 36.5 three-point attempts this season.
The Purple and Gold still failed to get the job done, even though Phoenix played without its top two scorers, Devin Booker and Dillon Brooks, due to injuries.
Since being hired by the Lakers last season, the 41-year-old Redick has repeatedly emphasized the importance of running backs on the defensive end. They are giving up 115.9 points on 48.7% shooting this season – both in the bottom half of the league.
The Lakers came back from a 12-point deficit in the fourth quarter to give them a win against the Suns.
Luka Doncic had a game-high 41 points to go along with eight rebounds and eight assists. Reeves and LeBron James combined for 29 points, nine rebounds and seven assists.
DeAndre Ayton had another disappointing game with two points and four rebounds.
