Too much Nurkic for the Lakers

Phoenix knew that they needed all of their silent sharp shooters to come out and play as well as their inside presence to pick up a victory in a most have game against the Lakers.

D. Booker and KD combined for 46 points, but the key factor of the game was the bully inside game of Jusuf Nurkic. Nurkic was a menace and made key plays for his teammates throughout the game. Anothony Davis had a difficult time putting a body on Nurkic, because he was just everywhere. On 50/50 balls, Nurkic had his fingerprints on most of the second chance points that the Suns capitalized on and had a few crucial blocks that sealed the day for Phoenix in a race of seeding, heading to the finish line of the season. He finished with 18 points, 22 rebounds, and 7 assists.

On the other side of the ball, LBJ and the Lakers are collapsing before our eyes. There were a few errors that cost them momentum in the fourth quarter, such as AD throwing the ball inbounds- as his feet crossed the line or throwing passes that the Suns were stealing in a very crowded lane. You can't paint the narrative all you want, but today's game ball has to go to Nurkic and the Suns in a 123-113 victory.