PHOENIX SUNS

Suns Strokes: Suns fall to energetic Lakers on the road

Nov 17, 2012, 7:18 AM | Updated: 7:18 am

Sure, you could read the box score and know who won, but we all know that won’t tell you everything that happened in a basketball game. So, we will give you Suns Strokes, providing you with the analysis, quotes and notes from the Suns’ 114-102 loss to the Lakers on November 16. Final Score: Lakers 114, Suns 102

The Good:

Goran Dragic was a bright spot for the Suns on offense. He scored 22 points and added seven assists and two rebounds.

Luis Scola also added 18 points, while Michael Beasley added 14 of his own along with a career-high nine assists.

The Bad:

The Suns’ defense was shoddy against a fast-paced, energetic Lakers attack. New head coach Mike D’Antoni wasn’t yet on the sidelines, as he was getting treatment for his knee in the Lakers’ locker room, but his presence was surely felt.

Phoenix couldn’t contain Lakers superstar Kobe Bryant, who netted 31 points for Los Angeles. Metta World Peace found ways to burn the Suns when it counted, sinking five three-pointers and scoring 22 points on the night.

The Suns have now dropped three of their last four games.

Noted:

• The Lakers put together a 17-2 run over the final two quarters to pull away.

• Former Suns’ icon Steve Nash didn’t face his former team as the Lakers point guard missed his seventh consecutive game with a small fracture in his left leg. He is expected to miss at least another week of action before getting examined again next weekend.

• The Suns continued their streak of falling behind early in games this season. They have now trailed by double digits in nine of their 10 games this year.

Up Next:

The Suns will host the defending champion Miami Heat on Saturday at 7:00 p.m.

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