Lakers-Suns Preview

By ALAN FERGUSON
Posted Jan 30 2013 3:21AM

The Los Angeles Lakers are on a roll heading into their longest road trip of the season, and one of their players should have a little extra motivation to perform well in the opener of that seven-game trek.

In his return to Phoenix, Steve Nash will try to lead the Lakers to a fourth consecutive win while preventing an eighth straight road loss Wednesday night against the Suns.

Nash missed his first chance this season to face the team that drafted him 15th overall in 1996 and brought him back for a second stint with the club spanning eight seasons from 2004-12.

The point guard, who helped the Suns reach the Western Conference finals three times and was named league MVP in 2005 and 2006, was recovering from a small fracture in his left leg during the Lakers' 114-102 home win Nov. 16.

This is his first visit to Phoenix since a sign-and-trade deal - at his request - sent the 38-year-old Nash to Los Angeles for four draft picks over the summer.

"(The Suns) were very apprehensive and didn't want to do it," Nash said at the time. "Fortunately for me, they reconsidered. They saw that they were able to get assets for their team that will make them better."

He should at least get a warm reception from his former teammates. Jared Dudley tweeted in July that Nash "has not only been the best but the most unselfish player I ever played with. I only wish him the best. He deserves everything."

Things haven't gone quite as Nash expected in Los Angeles, but the Lakers (20-25) are hoping their three-game winning streak behind a new style of play is reason for optimism. Nash hit a key 3-pointer with 1:21 remaining in a 111-106 win over New Orleans on Tuesday.

With 12 points, he was one of six Lakers in double figures. Dwight Howard had 24 after being held to single digits in four of the previous five games, and Earl Clark scored 20, his most in nine games as a starter.

Kobe Bryant had double-digit assists for the third straight game with 11 and finished just short of a triple-double again. He had eight rebounds Tuesday after pulling down nine in each of his previous two contests.

"It's working pretty well," Bryant said of his new approach as a playmaker. "It's very easy for me to look over the defense and know where they're coming from, just kind of line my guys up in the right way and just pick them apart."

The Lakers now try to snap their longest road losing streak since they dropped nine in a row March 14-April 5, 2005.

Los Angeles, which is 5-15 on the road, will face a Suns team that's dropped back-to-back games after winning its first two under interim coach Lindsey Hunter. Phoenix (15-30) didn't provide too much of a challenge in a 110-95 loss at Dallas on Sunday.

"We'll get back to work, and make sure we're better prepared next time, and make sure we're a better team on our next showing," Hunter said.

Nash's replacement, Goran Dragic, had a team-best 18 points in the losing effort and scored 22 in the loss to the Lakers in November.

"Every player wants to play well, especially against Steve because he is one of the best point guards," Dragic said.

Bryant scored 31 points and Metta World Peace chipped in 22 in the Lakers' win over the Suns earlier this season, but they've lost their last two games in Phoenix, including a 125-105 defeat April 7.

Suns rally to beat Lakers in Nash's return for LA

By BOB BAUM
Posted Jan 31 2013 3:10AM

PHOENIX (AP) Steve Nash's first trip back to Phoenix to play the Suns was an evening of triumph.

For the Suns, not Nash.

Michael Beasley scored a season-high 27 points and the Suns rallied from 13 down in the fourth quarter to hand Nash's Los Angeles Lakers their eighth straight road loss 92-86 on Wednesday night.

The Lakers, who had won three straight - all at home, lost Dwight Howard when he reinjured his right shoulder with 6:57 to play. Coach Mike D'Antoni said he thinks the injury is something that Howard will have to deal with all season.

"It is my understanding that it is something that will hurt, then it will go away and he will be able to play," D'Antoni said.

Beasley, whose previous season best of 25 came two games earlier, scored on a scrambling layup as the shot clock was expiring to put the Suns ahead 88-86 with 43.8 seconds to play.

"I'm just playing aggressive," Beasley said. "I'm trying to turn over a new leaf. No more nonchalant Beas. I'm back to the Beast."

Kobe Bryant had 17 points and nine assists, but missed what would have been the tying layup with 24 seconds to play. Howard had nine points and 14 rebounds before he left after aggravating the shoulder injury that sidelined him for three games earlier this month. Metta World Peace scored 15, Pau Gasol 14 and Antawn Jamison 13 for Los Angeles.

The Lakers played the first of seven straight on the road, where they haven't won since Dec. 22.

The Suns, who improved to 3-2 since Alvin Gentry was fired and replaced by interim coach Lindsey Hunter, outscored the Lakers 29-13 in the fourth quarter.

"I thought we had some open shots and didn't knock them down," Lakers coach Mike D'Antoni said. "We missed some foul shots, we had six or seven turnovers in the fourth quarter. Turnovers all night killed us."

Down 78-65 with 10 minutes left after Jamison scored 10 straight Lakers points, the Suns went on an 8-0 spurt to 78-73. But Bryant's 22-footer with 6:05 left had Los Angeles ahead 80-73.

Phoenix outscored the Lakers 19-6 the rest of way.

"We seemed to be kind of a step behind," Bryant said. "We seemed to be a little sloppy, a little lackadaisical."

After Bryant threw up an airball under P.J. Tucker's tight defense, Jared Dudley sank a 3-pointer to tie it at 82 with 3:39 left. After a turnover by the Lakers, Beasley's 17-footer made it 84-82, then Luis Scola sank a 15-footer to complete a 13-2 run that had Phoenix ahead 86-82 with 1:55 left.

Bryant's driving layup cut it to 86-84 with 1:35 to go, then Nash knocked the ball loose from Scola for a turnover and Bryant's two free throws tied it at 86-86 with 1:07 to play.

That set up Beasley's drive. The Suns reserve, whose play has blossomed since Hunter took over, had the ball knocked away by Peace as the shot clock wound down, but managed to drive to the hoop for a layup that made 88-86.

"Once I picked it up and seen I had 2 seconds to go, the only thing I was trying to do was get it toward the basket," Beasley said. "It was just that kind of a night, I guess."

Bryant's driving miss followed and the Suns wrapped it up from the foul line.

"Michael Beasley was incredible tonight," Hunter said. "He's been working really hard to get to this point and I really see promise in his future and just continue to encourage him."

A video tribute to Nash during a first-quarter timeout drew a rousing standing ovation from the crowd, a mixture of Lakers and Suns fans. Nash responded with a wave as the Lakers came back onto the court.

It was a warm remembrance of the high-flying style that Nash, with D'Antoni his coach, brought to Phoenix. Nash won two MVPs and the team made the Western Conference finals twice in Nash's eight seasons. Nash, who turns 39 on Feb. 7, left the Suns for Los Angeles in a sign-and-trade deal at the end of last season.

"This is a very special place for me and to be recognized by the fans is incredible," he said. "I am definitely very grateful for the reception but also for my time here, which are among the best years of my life."

Nash finished with 11 points and two assists.

Marcin Gortat had 14 points and 12 rebounds as five Suns reached double figures.

Neither team led by more than five points in the first half with the game tied at 41 at the break.

The Lakers outscored Phoenix 23-10 to start the third quarter, taking a 64-51 lead on a layup by Peace with 3:26 left in the period. He also had a pair of 3s in the run.

Jamison finished the quarter with a long 2-pointer, followed by a 3, and the Lakers led 73-63 entering the fourth.

It was a stretch of 10 consecutive points for Jamison, whose layup made it 78-65 with 10 minutes to play.

Notes: The Suns were in black uniforms for the first time since 2000. ... The Lakers don't play at home until Feb. 12, against Phoenix. ... Suns C Jermaine O'Neal missed his fifth straight game because of an irregular heartbeat. ... D'Antoni had lunch Wednesday with good friend Gentry. ... 18-time Olympic gold medalist Michael Phelps was in the crowd.

Notebook: Suns 92, Lakers 86

Jonathan Dalton, For NBA.com
Posted Thu Jan 31, 2013 2:26 AM - Updated Thu Jan 31, 2013 2:26 AM

THE FACTS: Michael Beasley scored a season-best 27 points, including the go-ahead basket with 43.8 seconds left, and the Phoenix Suns rallied from a 13-point deficit with 10 minutes to go to beat the Los Angeles Lakers 92-86 on Wednesday night.

Antawn Jamison scored five straight points to give the Lakers their biggest lead, 78-65, with 10:00 left to play. But the Suns (16-30) slowly chipped away, tying the game at 82-all on a 3-pointer by Jared Dudley from the right corner with 3:39 left, and Phoenix never trailed again.

Marcin Gortat had 14 points and 12 rebounds and Luis Scola added 12, while Dudley and Goran Dragic scored 11 apiece for the Suns, who are 3-2 since interim coach Lindsey Hunter took over after Alvin Gentry's firing.

Kobe Bryant scored 17 points, albeit on 7-for-17 shooting, and added nine assists, Metta World Peace added 15 points and Pau Gasol added 14 off the bench for the Lakers (20-26), who have lost eight straight on the road and saw their three-game winning streak snapped.

Steve Nash scored 11 points on 3-for-8 shooting but had as many turnovers as assists -- two -- in 33 minutes in his first game back in Phoenix since signing with the Lakers.

Dwight Howard missed the final 6:57 after aggravating his right torn labrum. He finished with nine points and 14 rebounds in 28-plus minutes.

QUOTABLE: "Early on, there were games where I didn't get on the floor. It's hard to play not to make a mistake. It's on your mind and you're going to do it. Now I know when I'm playing in the first half, when I'm playing in the second half. I know my minutes and I'm able to play free."

-- Michael Beasley

THE STAT: The Suns outscored the Lakers 27-8 over the final 10 minutes of the game. The Los Angeles committed 20 turnovers -- nine in the first quarter alone and another six in the fourth quarter - leading to 19 points for the Suns.

QUOTABLE II: "I'm trying to turn over a new leaf. No more nonchalant 'Beaz.' Back to being the beast."

-- Michael Beasley

TURNING POINT: Shannon Brown and P.J. Tucker scored only 14 points between them, but they combined to limit Bryant to 2-for-7 shooting and zero assists in the fourth quarter as the Suns rallied from the double-digit deficit. Their defensive efforts all but brought the Lakers' offense to a halt, as Bryant repeatedly worked the ball into the corner while teammates stood still on the perimeter and waited for the pass.

HOT: Beasley scored eight of his 10 fourth-quarter points in the final 5:09. It was his seventh 20-point effort of the season and his first at US Airways Center. Beasley, who is averaging 18.2 points and 5.4 rebounds in 24 minutes since Hunter took over, also tied a career high with five points.

NOT: Pick a Laker. Los Angeles was 4-for-21 from the floor in the fourth quarter, dropping its shooting percentage from 50.9 percent through three quarters to 42.3 percent for the game. World Peace finished 6-for-17, 3-for-10 from beyond the arc.

QUOTABLE III: "Tonight was a big setback for us. We were in control of the game and couldn't close it out."

-- Steve Nash

NOTABLE: The Lakers' road losing streak is its longest since March 14 - April 5, 2005 and the team finished winless on the road in January. ... Los Angeles was playing the first game of their seven-game road trip. ... Phoenix has won three straight at home against the Lakers, the team's longest streak since winning six straight at home from Nov. 19, 2004, through April 13, 2007. ... The Suns have held the two Los Angeles teams to an average of 87 points on 41 percent shooting in the past seven days at US Airways Center. ... The Lakers are 0-4 on the back half of home-road consecutive games this season. ... Bryant's three-game streak with double-digit assists came to an end.

IN THE ARENA: Nash received a loud ovation when he was introduced and a standing ovation during a first-quarter, "welcome back" montage on the video board. Outside of those occassions, however, he was booed every time he touched the ball. ... Eighteen-time Olympic medalist Michael Phelps was courtside. ... A solid third of the seats were filled with Lakers fans.

UP NEXT: For the Lakers, Friday @ Minnesota, Sunday @ Detroit, Tuesday @ Brooklyn. For the Suns, Friday vs. Dallas, Saturday @ Golden State, Tuesday @ Memphis.

• Lakers: Hill
• Suns: Frye, O'Neal

• Lakers: --
• Suns: --

• Lead Changes: 10
• Times Tied: 8

• Arena: US Airways Center, Phoenix, AZ
• Officials: #17 Joe Crawford, #7 Kevin Fehr, #26 Pat Fraher
• Attendance: 17184
• Duration: 2:22