Phoenix Suns Royce O’Neale and Los Angeles Lakers LeBron James look to snap their teams’ two-game losing streaks.
The Los Angeles Lakers (34-23, 6th in Western Conference) go on the road for the first time since Feb. 3 when they visit the Phoenix Suns (33-26, 7th in West) on Thursday (9 ET). LA went 4-4 during their 8-game homestand, while the Suns are 3-7 over their last ten outings.
Here are three storylines to watch for tonight.
1. Injuries, offensive struggles for Suns: The injury bug is flying freely in Phoenix and it wreaked havoc in The Valley post All-Star break. After just 9 minutes of play in the Suns’ first game back following the festivities, Devin Booker sustained a hip flexor that has kept him on the shelf since. Two nights later, Dillon Brooks, who’s averaging a career-high 20.9 ppg during his first season in purple and orange, broke his left hand and will be sidelined 4-6 weeks. In the same contest, Jordan Goodwin, an important contributor off the bench, suffered a calf injury that will keep him out of the lineup for 1-to-2 weeks before being reevaluated. All in all, those three players account for 54.5 of Phoenix’s 112.1 ppg. As a result, the Suns have scored less than 95 points in three of their last four games, posting an NBA-worst 91.3 ppg during that stretch. They’ll need guys like Grayson Allen (17.2 ppg), Collin Gillespie (13.4 ppg) and Jalen Green (13.3 ppg) to step up in a big way, and a matchup against the Lakers’ 24th-ranked defense (116.6 DEFRTG) could be just what this team needs to get back on the right track.
2. Green trying to shake off rust: Following two consecutive seasons in which he suited up for all 82 games as a member of the Houston Rockets, Jalen Green has battled some tough injury luck of his own. The second overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft missed the first eight outings of 2025-26 due to a hamstring injury, then returned to play just 30 combined minutes across two contests in early November before re-aggravating the same hammy. He missed the next 33 games and 48 in total, but he’s been healthy and active in six of Phoenix’s last seven. Green’s best moment so far came during a 113-110 double overtime victory against Orlando on Saturday, when he broke free to sink a buzzer-beating game-winning 3-pointer from the corner. However, the sample size is small, but Green is averaging career-low figures in scoring (13.3), rebounding (2.9), assists (2.3) and shooting efficiency (36.9 / 29.2 / 71.4 splits) across 11 appearances. Look for the Suns to get the 23-year-old involved early and often in hopes of him finding a rhythm.
3. Bounce back game for Luka Dončić: In the same vein as the first two sections above, injuries have played a part in slowing down the NBA’s leading scorer in Dončić (32.5 ppg). Across 39 games from Oct. 21 through Jan. 31, ‘Luka Magic’ was on full display, as he posted averages of 33.7 ppg, 7.8 rebounds, 8.8 assists and 1.5 steals on 47.7 / 34.7 / 78.0 splits in 36.2 minutes a night. In six appearances since Feb. 1, he’s averaging 24.8 ppg, 7.5 rpg, 7.3 apg and 0.7 spg on shooting splits of 40.2 / 38.3 / 66.7 in 31.7 minutes a night. Dončić, who’s battled hamstring and eye ailments during this stretch, should be primed for a rebound performance versus a Phoenix team he’s averaged 33.5 ppg against in two previous matchups. He’ll have the added benefit of not being shadowed by Brooks (hand), one of the premier wing defenders in the league, while the Lakers look to even the season series with the Suns and extend their two-game lead over them in the Western Conference standings.
