Phoenix vs. Los Angeles

Lakers -11 1/2 vs. Suns

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The Phoenix Suns felt they needed to retool to advance to greater heights. Their offensive skills were powerful in the regular season, but did not translate to championships in the postseason. So a new regime of a more balanced team was brought in and it resulted in an average team. The Suns dumped their first-year coach and made changes. Now their team resembles their former selves and while it is translating to victories in the regular season, the postseason will remain a question mark—if they can even get there. The Suns face the NBA best Lakers on the road Thursday night and will see if their recent regular season success will continue.

Since bringing in new coach Alvin Gentry the day after the All-Star Game when they fired Terry Porter , the Suns (32-24) have gone 4-1 and have averaged 128.4 points per game during the stretch. In Gentry’s first three games, Phoenix scored 140 or more points. They only managed a measly, for them, 112 points in their most recent 112-102 victory, over Charlotte on Tuesday.

Steve Nash scored 22 points against the Bobcats, but received a scare when he had to leave with an injured right ankle during the third quarter. He returned in the fourth and is expected to be in the starting lineup against the Lakers.

Even with their recent hot streak, the Suns are still 14 ½ games behind Los Angeles. Phoenix’s rediscovered high tempo play will be put to the test against the Lakers.

Unfortunately for the Suns, the Lakers (47-10) just keep winning. They are looking for their sixth straight victory and 17th in 19 games Thursday. They faced Oklahoma City and beat them 107-93, despite a furious rally by the Thunder. Oklahoma City almost whittled away an 18-point deficit, but Kobe Bryant stepped up to stop any comebacks by posting 15 of his 36 points in the fourth quarter.

The game will mark the first time since November 20th that former teammates Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal will be on the same court as opponents. The duo were named co-MVPs when they were teammates for the Western Conference in the All-Star Game a few weeks back and caused many to hope for a joyful reunion sometime soon.

Since being victimized in the 2007 playoffs by Phoenix, Los Angeles has won five of the last six matchups.

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