Los Angeles (USA), May 30 (EFE) .- The Phoenix Suns stormed Los Angeles (USA) this Sunday and equaled their series 2-2 against the Los Angeles Lakers (92-100), They showed a very poor performance in attack and also lost Anthony Davis through injury.
The center was already dragging knee discomfort and it was doubtful until the last minute, but after playing the first two quarters he did not return in the second half due to groin problems.
Chris Paul, now recovered from his shoulder injury, led the Suns with 18 points and 9 assists, while Devin Booker had 17 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists.
In the coral and very competent performance of the Suns, Deandre Ayton (14 points and 17 rebounds) and Jae Crowder (17 points and 7 rebounds) also stood out.
In the Lakers, LeBron James was the maximum reference (25 points, 12 rebounds and 6 assists) and his best squire was Marc Gasol, who signed his most outstanding performance so far in the playoff.
The Spaniard had 12 points (4 of 6 in shots, 3 of 5 in triples), 8 rebounds (4 of them in attack), 3 assists, 3 blocks and a steal against a loss in 23 minutes.
Gasol, who after Davis’s absence became the beacon of the Angelenos’ inside game, contributed intelligence in attack and defensive delivery to some Lakers in which Kentavious Caldwell-Pope did not play due to injury.
The current NBA champions were greatly diminished by their limitations in attack with 39% shooting from the field (43% of the Suns) and 15 losses (10 of their rivals).
GOING FOR PAINTING
Both teams came out with the inside game as an offensive priority.
DeAndre Ayton, a life insurer for the Suns in the playoffs, scored the first two baskets for his team, while Anthony Davis went to the post to tickle Jae Crowder.
However, LeBron James decided he wanted to rule this game from the start and gave the Lakers the first boost with a triple and two penetrations (12-8 with 6.50 left).
Marc Gasol, who has established himself as the first rotation for the painting of the Lakers from the bench, pointed to the remarkable staging of the premises.
The center’s presence was immediately noticeable as he hit a triple on his first shot (17-15 with 3.16 missing).
In the Suns, Devin Booker warmed up very quickly and closed his great first quarter with 9 points, but a tap on the horn from Gasol gave the purple and gold a minimal advantage (24-23).
The second quarter did not bring good news for the visitors after the two triples in a row by Kyle Kuzma and Ben McLemore.
Right after James gave a counterattack delight, with a dunk after a turn on himself, and the Lakers threatened to take off on the scoreboard (37-27 with 8.49 left).
Faced with a Paul who did not finish starting, Booker counted on the Suns with the support of Cam Johnson and Jae Crowder from the perimeter to not leave the game early (40-35 with 7.24 left).
Those of Phoenix took a run and took advantage of James’ absence for a break to get over the top with a new triple from Crowder (40-43 with 5.09 for the break).
The Lakers were going through a streak of much confusion in attack, but a spectacular dunk by James, after Alex Caruso’s pass against the board, raised the 8 thousand spectators of the Staples Center.
In any case, those of Phoenix took oil from the imprecision of their rivals and went to the dressing room ahead after an even first half (50-54).
LOST WITHOUT DAVIS
The absence of Davis in the quintet that jumped onto the court after the restart seemed to weigh heavily on the Lakers, who saw Ayton once again be a titan in the zone against a lukewarm Andre Drummond.
The Angelenos could not find their rhythm while Paul forgot about his physical discomfort and opened an important difference, both due to the score and the sensations left by both teams (54-68 with 8.02 to be played).
The Lakers were losing the game out of hand and their success in the face of the basket was still low despite the fact that the revolutions of the duel increased with the entry of Caruso and Gasol.
At the end of the third quarter, clearly dominated by the Suns (15-27), a Paul stroking his best version shaped the biggest advantage so far for the visitors (65-81).
The Lakers only had to resort to the heroic one and Montrezl Harrell, unprecedented until then in the game, came out in the last quarter to look for a 180 degree turn.
The frustration in attack for the Lakers, unlike a luxury team with multiple scoring resources in its squad, continued with examples as clear as that of an uninspired Kyle Kuzma.
But between a rabid and energetic James and an effective in attack and robust in defense Gasol joined forces to try a miraculous comeback (81-91 with 4.15 left).
A new triple from Gasol, excellent in the hot moments of the match, and a free kick from James further shortened the difference and made the Los Angeles crowd dream (88-95 with 2.40 on the clock).
However, the success facing the rim decided the game for Arizona: Schroder missed a penetration that would have put the game red hot and, on the next play, Crowder destroyed the illusions of the Lakers from the line of three.
The series now returns to Phoenix, where Game 5 will be played on Tuesday.
(c) EFE Agency