The Los Angeles Lakers and the Phoenix Suns meet again. Los Angeles got the better of Kevin Durant and company during the first week of the 2023-24 NBA season, but can they do it again? Or, will the Suns score some measure of revenge?

Catch this game live on Saturday, November 11, 2023 at 11 AM, Manila time

Away: Los Angeles Lakers (3-5/0-5 Away)

Projected Starting Five:

  • D’Angelo Russell
  • Austin Reaves
  • LeBron James
  • Taurean Prince
  • Anthony Davis (Questionable)

The Lakers have one more shot at securing a win in their four-game road trip that ends this Saturday in The Valley. LeBron James and the Purple & Gold have gone 0-3 straight up in their last three games, all away from home, including last Thursday’s embarrassing 128-94 defeat at the hands of Dillon Brooks and the Houston Rockets.

The absence of Anthony Davis has made things harder for the Lakers, who will have to prepare for the Suns game as though the big man will sit out another contest. Davis has missed the last two Lakers games, and if he does again this Saturday, Los Angeles likely will give increased playing time to Christian Wood again. And of course, that will also mean more on the plate of LeBron James, who scored 21 points with nine assists and eight rebounds in the Lakers’ 100-95 win over the Suns at home on Oct. 27. Wood will have to be much more aggressive than he did in the loss to the Rockets in which he took just one attempt from the field in 22 minutes on the floor. 

Home: Phoenix Suns (4-4/1-2 Home)

Projected Starting Five:

  • Devin Booker (questionable)
  • Bradley Beal
  • Keita Bates-Diop
  • Kevin Durant
  • Jusuf Nurkic

Kevin Durant will have more help this time around in the rematch versus the Lakers. In the first meeting, the Suns did not have both Devin Booker and Bradley Beal to flank the former NBA MVP. Although there’s no assurance at the moment that Booker will play this Saturday, Bradley Beal is expected to suit up after finally making his Suns debut in their 116-115 overtime road win over the Chicago Bulls on Thursday. Beal scored just 13 points on an inefficient 3/12 shooting in that contest, but that’s not going to be the norm for the talented shooter, especially now that he’s finally shaken off the rust. 

In the loss to the Lakers, Durant exploded for 39 points, nearly doing it all for the Suns, whose next most productive scorer then was Eric Gordon, who had 15 points. But don’t sleep on Grayson Allen, who’s trending up after scoring a total of 40 points in the last two Phoenix games. If the Lakers ultimately rule out Davis, the Suns would have one huge problem less on both ends of the floor. Also note that the Lakers are just 1-4 against the spread in road games this season. (Suns are 1-2 ATS at home).

PREDICTIONS:

Spread: The Lakers (+3.5) cover the spread. 

Over/Under: The total (222.5) hits the Under.