Analysis: Historical rivalry renewed in an error-filled game

FAN BOTS

Thank you for watching the video     Link:https://arizonasports.com/nba/phoenix-suns/suns-lakers-loss-2/3605569/     Important warning⚠️⚠️   My friend, please check the accuracy of the information. The information I provide may be  incorrect, late, or outdated.   #GameAnalysis#HistoryRivalry#SportsErrors#MatchAnalysis#RenewedRivalry#ErrorAnalysis#SportsHistory

Transcript

00:00Alright everyone, let's break down what just happened in that absolutely wild Sunday night

00:05game between the Phoenix Suns and the Los Angeles Lakers. The final score was 116-114 for the Lakers,

00:12but this wasn't just a loss. This felt like the full-scale revival of a decades-old rivalry,

00:18heated up to a level we haven't seen in years, and all from just one regular season game in

00:23mid-December. The night was defined by the ongoing saga between Dylan Brooks and LeBron James,

00:28incredibly sloppy play, constant chippiness and some truly maddening officiating decisions that

00:34lit a fire nobody knew was there. It all came to a head in the most dramatic way possible.

00:39The Suns down by 20 with 8.40 to go after nearly 8 scoreless minutes, transformed from a complete

00:45mess to actually hitting a go-ahead shot with just 12 seconds left. And a huge part of that comeback

00:50was a mistake you have to see to believe. With opposing fans getting loud, the Lakers' Marcus

00:56smart committed a once-in-a-decade level of transition turnover. That sparked hope. A 14-3

01:02Suns run got it to within 9, but the Lakers stabilized, briefly. They went back up 14 with

01:08under 4 minutes left. Then, LA's next possessions were a disaster. Turnover, missed 3, missed 3,

01:17turnover, missed 3. The Suns scored on all of them. A 12-nil run in just over 2 minutes,

01:23and suddenly Phoenix was down only 2. After a LeBron layup the Lakers had the ball, up 2,

01:29with 28 seconds left. And then, Marcus smart, did it again. LeBron passed to him in the backcourt.

01:36The lane to the basket was wide open, but instead of holding it, smart tried to score. Ryan Dunn was

01:41waiting, blocked his shot emphatically, and then Devin Booker missed a pull-up 3 for the lead.

01:48Booker got his own miss and found Dylan Brooks for that go-ahead 3-pointer.

01:51Now, Brooks, who had LeBron under him on the shot, and maybe should have gotten a 4-point play,

01:58responded by darting over and chest-bumping James. The Lakers had already called a timeout,

02:04so the officials reviewed it for a hostile act. They ruled it was. A foolish choice by Brooks who

02:10got his second technical and was ejected, giving LeBron the final free throw to potentially tie.

02:15And he missed it. 12 seconds left, game tied. Nope. But LeBron got redemption. On the next

02:22possession, a broken play ended with Luka Doncic passing to LeBron at the logo. Booker closed out,

02:28but on replay, the refs saw contact on LeBron's wrist. Booker fouled him on a 3-point attempt.

02:33I've always been told hand is a part of the ball.

02:38It's... it's... over... over with now. Booker said post-game. I shouldn't have even been in the area

02:45to commit that foul. The Suns challenged and lost, costing them their last timeout. LeBron

02:50stepped to the line, down 1, with 3.9 seconds left. He made 2 of 3. Lakers up 2. The Suns' final

02:58inbounds play went to Grayson Allen, but LeBron, who said he'd scouted that move, got a hand on the

03:03shot. Ball game. Let's talk about Dylan Brooks. He's the NBA's premier pot stirrer. That act has

03:11won the Suns' games this year by getting in opponents' heads. But Sunday, it was a net negative.

03:17There's history there. I love to see it, Booker said of the Brooks-LeBron dynamic.

03:22People always say everything's too friendly in the NBA. And then Dylan comes around and now

03:28it's too much. I'd rather have it the other way. Him be too much. And Brooks was too much.

03:33The mind games with LeBron were simmering all night. In the second quarter, Brooks sold contact

03:37from James to draw a foul. It was reviewed and downgraded to a common foul, which was perplexing

03:43to many. But LeBron started getting the better of him. Just before halftime, with 14 seconds left,

03:49LeBron beat Brooks for an offensive rebound off a free throw, got fouled by Brooks, and then after

03:54making one free throw, grabbed his own miss off the second to draw another foul. Three extra points

04:00right before halftime from pure hustle and exploiting Brooks' aggression. The twist came

04:04right after halftime. LeBron lost his cool. Brooks lightly swatted a ball that went off LeBron,

04:12and James absolutely lost it, bumping Brooks and having to be held back. He made contact with an

04:18official but wasn't ejected. He did get a technical. Successful rage bait by Brooks, right? But two

04:24possessions later, LeBron baited Brooks into using a shoulder bump on a fadeaway. LeBron sold it.

04:31Brooks picked up his fifth foul just two minutes into the half. He's gonna compete? I'm going to

04:37compete, LeBron said post-game. We just compete. Did that almost all the way until the end of the game.

04:43Statistically, Brooks had 18 points on 6-for-9 shooting in 25 minutes. LeBron had 26 points

04:50on 8-for-17 shooting, but also 8 turnovers. His five giveaways in the first quarter were his first

04:57time doing that in 15 years. Now, some glaring team stats. The Lakers shot 43 free throws to the

05:04Suns' 25. That light whistle plays right into LA's hands, and every team in the league knows it's coming.

05:10So, you have to control everything else, and the Suns didn't. They got outworked 24-10 on the

05:16offensive glass. Points off turnovers were close, 36-31 Suns. But overall turnovers were a mess,

05:2422-20 Lakers. They missed 22 of their first 25 three-point attempts. Booker, back from a three-game

05:31absence, didn't look himself until the late rally, finishing with 27 points.

05:36Luka Doncic had a horrible shooting night. 7-for-25, 2-for-14 from three, but got to the

05:46line, 14-for-16. A major key was the big-man battle. The Lakers' DeAndre Ayton vastly outplayed

05:52the Suns' Mark Williams. 20 points, 10-for-11, and 13 rebounds versus Williams' 20 points and only 6

05:59rebounds. Jarred Vanderbilt had six offensive boards in just 15 minutes. Jackson Hayes off the

06:05bench, had 12 and 9. We just got outworked from the beginning until the fourth quarter, Booker

06:11admitted. It can't be an on-and-off switch with us. And that's the bottom line. The Suns have been the

06:17league's biggest surprise by winning those effort margins. To see them lose those battles, even in

06:23this chaotic environment was the real surprise. This game had everything. Drama, controversy,

06:30a historic rivalry reborn, and a comeback that fell just short on the final possession.

06:35So here's my question for you. In a game decided by so many 50-50 effort plays and mental mistakes,

06:41is this a concerning blueprint to beat the Suns, or just one incredible, unforgettable night of regular

06:47season chaos? Let me know what you think.

Category

Transcript

Be the first to comment

Recommended