Luka Doncic brutally blasts Suns in one sentence during loss to Lakers

Sunday afternoon represented one of the final remaining opportunities for the Phoenix Suns to make a late regular season stand and prove they have something about them, but they failed. A tepid performance against the Los Angeles Lakers resulting in a 107-96 loss.

A defeat made worse by the fact LeBron James was missing with a groin strain, while it became obvious early that outside of Luka Doncic, the Lakers didn't have a ton of offensive ideas themselves. No matter for them though, as they played Doncic 40 minutes with his 33 points leading the way for his team as he continues to look more comfortable in Los Angeles.

Doncic made a fool of the Suns on the national television broadcast.

The Slovenian has long been a foe of Phoenix going back to his time with the Dallas Mavericks, and it is clear he loves playing against the Suns. This was the seventh straight game in which he's put up more than 30 points in a game against them - and although there was the usual jawing with the referees - he completely dictated the action.

Doncic taking so much attention away from his teammates meant Austin Reaves was able to go off for 28 points, while Jaxson Hayes continues to lead a charmed live since Doncic came to town. He had 19 points in this one, and on both ends was exactly what the Lakers need him to be and what the Suns wish they had themselves.

During the broadcast on ABC - and with Doncic mic'd up for the occasion - he got caught uttering a line that perfectly sums up this Suns experience as a whole. Taking to the bench during a time-out, he told those around him that he had "never been open so much in my life". Ouch. This unlikely scenario just took one more step to actually becoming a reality.

That comment may have been in reference to an earlier interaction with Kevin Durant, who remarked that Doncic was going to get guarded a lot tougher in the playoffs. That might be true - but with every game from here on out essentially a cup final for the Suns as they seek to make the play-in tournament - why didn't they try and guard him that way as well?

Instead they let him get to his spots and completely dominate in a way that Durant once did and which Devin Booker has mostly failed to do this season. We also recently saw Jaylen Brown of the Boston Celtics give Doncic an awful time in locking him up for most of their game - and although the Suns don't have a Brown - outside of Ryan Dunn there wasn't a whole lot of effort to try either.

Which makes Doncic's remark so damaging. The Suns had the worst defensive rating in the NBA through February, and this was a defeat in which there were defensive breakdowns and Durant again appearing to have another go at head coach Mike Budenholzer. Rather than laugh at how far they've fallen, Doncic simply seemed shocked.

To say he's never been so open out there - despite the fact the Suns had clearly game-planned to try and keep him quiet - means he's gone beyond trying to go at Booker and this team. Instead, he's moved way beyond them and his comments instead make it seem like he feels sorry for Phoenix. Which is the worst possible way a rival can view you. A disastrous day in Los Angeles.