There is a tendency in all sports to be a bit hasty in coming to conclusions. That was the case when the Los Angeles Lakers lost their first game to the Phoenix Suns in the 2021 NBA playoffs.
Powered by strong performances from LeBron James and Anthony Davis, the Lakers got an important victory in the second game to level the series. But as we head into game three of this first round matchup, there are questions that the team is still working towards trying to answer.
When you take a look at the scoresheet, it appears that both games were close, tightly contested affairs. While that is true to a certain extent, there was one aspect that was noticeably different in game two- the attitude shown by the Laker players at the Talking Stick Resort Arena, as it was much improved.
In the opening game, LAL looked a bit lethargic and let the Suns control the tempo. This was shown by the number of easy shots Devin Booker and DeAndre Ayton were getting throughout the game. Criticism was particularly laid on Davis, and with good reason as he let Ayton get the better of him, over and over.
But when you have a squad that has heavyweights such as the former New Orleans Pelicans superstar and King James himself, you must expect better.
And to their credit, they came storming back in game two and took control of the proceedings. This builds off their play-in round win over a deeply talented and accomplished Golden State Warriors squad.
But the big question moving forward will be whether or not they can sustain this level over the course of the series. It can be said that the loss in the opening game woke the defending champs up from their slumber. But there hasn’t been enough evidence this season, overall a disappointing one, in their ability to sustain this level of performance.
There is a reason why the Suns finished second in the western conference, and we’ve seen a lot of what makes them a dangerous team. And in the third game, they will need to execute their game plan in a much more effective manner. Booker, a superstar-in-the-making, has played like we expected him to.
With the former Kentucky Wildcat, and his superb supporting cast, they have a real chance of knocking out the reigning champions.
The next few games will be interesting to see, but it would be better for Laker Nation to lower their expectations a little. If the Lake Show doesn’t find consistency across the court, it could be easily canceled in the first round.