Phoenix Suns: 2 Keys to Victory Over the Los Angeles Lakers

High win projections, superstar players, title aspirations, and an 0-2 start to the regular season. One of those things does not fit in with the rest, but either the Phoenix Suns or Los Angeles Lakers will need to harbor it, with the two juggernauts facing off tonight after losing both their season openers.

Falling to the Denver Nuggets, the Suns struggled to maintain pace and rhythm at the offensive end. Burts from Landry Shamet and Deandre Ayton at different times kept the contest well-fought, but Denver controlled the entire second half, eventually coasting to win.

Los Angeles and their veteran “super team” never found much footing either. Russell Westbrook put out another poor shooting performance for his many haters to chew on, going 4-13 from the field and 0-4 from long range. LeBron James and Anthony Davis both looked sharp, combining for 67 points, but no other Laker reached double digit scoring marks, as the Golden State Warriors rolled past them.

No two games will sink a team’s season, let alone the first two. But regardless, both squads certainly want to avoid an 0-2 start, at least to dodge any future “are they in trouble” headlines from the tabloids.

The Lakers and Suns both possess their fair share of doubters going into this season, with many calling the Lakers “too old” to win, and others deeming the Suns as a fluke team from last year, unlikely to achieve such success again.

Both those crowds will eat up a winless first week for the Suns or Lakers like a bowl of candy, making this contest an important one not only as an inter-division game, but as an opportunity to avoid a negative narrative early on this season.