Preview: Suns Look to Snap Lakers' 7-Game Win Streak

Who: Los Angeles Lakers at Phoenix Suns
What: NBA Regular Season Action
When: Sunday, Nov. 15 at 7:00 pm
Where: Mortgage Matchup Center, Phoenix, AZ

The Phoenix Suns (5-6) host the Los Angeles Lakers (11-2) Sunday afternoon in a battle of two hot teams.

The Suns have won four of their last five games, while the Lakers are riding a seven-game winning streak.

Phoenix went 3-2 against the Lakers last season and played well in almost every matchup against them.

Now, the Lakers are off to a scorching start to the year after losing LeBron James this offseason and building a new-look team around Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves, who was ruled out against the Suns with a bruised left heel.

The Suns, meanwhile, have struggled to find success with their four-man lineup of Devin Booker, Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks and Miles Bridges. The group has a minus-21.2 net rating in 168 minutes together, despite being expected to help Phoenix take a step forward this season.

Even with the starting lineup struggles, Booker has been on a tear for the Suns, averaging 27.4 points, 4.9 assists and 1.4 steals while shooting 39.6% from 3-point range across the last seven games. while the bench has provided a big lift to help Phoenix turn things around over the past five games.

PHOENIX SUNS INJURY REPORT

Mark Williams (Left Shoulder Surgery) is Out

LOS ANGELS LAKERS INJURY REPORT

Collin Sexton (Right Orbital Laceration) is Questionable

Adou Thiero (Left Ankle Sprain) is Questionable

Bronny James (Illness) is Questionable

Austin Reaves (Bruised Left Heel) is Out

Cameron Carr (Illness) is Out

Key to the Game: Slowing Down Luka Doncic, Lakers' Offense

The Lakers enter this afternoon with the NBA's top-ranked offense in the NBA, powered by Luka Doncic, who is leading the league with 38.6 points per game to go along with 7.6 assists and 7.5 rebounds.

Without Reaves sidelined, Phoenix needs to find a way to slow Doncic down and force the Lakers' other players beat them.

Some of the Suns' top defenders discussed what it will take to limit Doncic following practice Saturday.

“He's on a tear. Limit the free throw line as much as you can,” Suns forward Ryan Dunn said of Doncic (via The Arizona Republic's Duane Rankin). “Limit his 3s as much as we can. He's going to get to it regardless. He's not going to have a 0-point night. I'm not going to say it but hopefully keep it to a low-scoring game. I'm not going to say what we want to keep him to but just trying to make it tough for him as much as we can.

"Don’t try to worry about making home run plays against him, because that's who he is. He's going to be able to dissect and operate the offense. Making it tough and individually just trying to do what I'm supposed to do, and collectively, just make it tough for him."

Doncic is also shooting a career-best 40.8% from 3-point range.

“Just got to go out there and compete,” Suns guard Jordan Goodwin said. “Luka’s a great player, can put the ball in the hole. Can manipulate the game with fouls and his savvy play, but I’m just going to be myself. Attack him how I attack everybody else. Watch my film. I’m just going to check the ball up.”

One area the Lakers struggle in offensively is turnovers (16.9 per game), so the Suns will look to be effective with their pressure defense after forcing 27 turnovers in Thursday's 101-96 victory over the Charlotte Hornets.

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