The Phoenix Suns snapped a three-game losing streak on Thursday and they have a lot to thank Royce O'Neal for. O'Neal broke the tie by hitting a dagger 3-pointer with one second remaining in the fourth quarter to give Phoenix a 113–110 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers at the Mortgage Matchup Center in Phoenix, Arizona.
The Suns played brilliantly in that game, leading to a wide-open try from deep by O'Neale, who finished the game with 13 points.
It all started with Grayson Allen attacking the Lakers' defense, and when everyone's attention was on him, he threw the ball to Collin Gillespie, who immediately passed the ball to O'Neal. Without hesitation, former Baylor Bears forward O'Neal launched a shot from behind the arc that found nothing but the bottom of the net.
Royce O'Neale leads with less than a second left 😳🍿
- ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) 27 February 2026
There was still time left on the clock after O'Neal, but the Lakers could not convert a bucket after the timeout, as Austin Reaves missed a last-gasp 3-point attempt from the corner.
O'Neal finished his evening with 13 points with three triples, while Allen and Gillespie provided 28 and 21 points, respectively, for the Suns, who won despite missing star shooting guard Devin Booker and forward Dillon Brooks.
That shot from O'Neal also summed up the Suns' unselfishness in the contest. He had 22 assists on 40 field goals and also hit a total of 22 3-pointers on 50 attempts from deep. It seemed a little easier for Phoenix to make outside shots from deep against the Lakers' defense.
