LOS ANGELES — For Luka Doncic, the “marching orders”, as coach JJ Redick put it, don’t change regardless of who’s available and playing for the Lakers.
So even with LeBron James (strained left groin) and Rui Hachimura (left patellar tendinopathy) unavailable for Sunday afternoon’s home matchup against the Phoenix Suns, what the Lakers asked of him remained the same.
And Doncic delivered, being the driving force behind the Lakers’ 107-96 win over the Suns, ending their losing streak after a winless four-game trip.
After sitting out of Friday’s loss to the Denver Nuggets, Doncic led the Lakers with 33 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists.
Austin Reaves added 28 points, six assists and four rebounds.
Starting center Jaxson Hayes returned after missing the previous four games and immediately made his presence felt at the rim on both ends of the floor.
Hayes finished with a season-high-tying 19 points on 8-of-10 shooting and eight rebounds, serving as a vertical threat at the rim and a release valve for Doncic and Reaves on drives or when Phoenix sent multiple defenders toward the Lakers’ main ball handlers.
Dorian Finney-Smith added 10 points, six rebounds and three assists in 36 minutes as a starter.
Despite coming off a four-game trip that took them to the East Coast and had them play three of the matchups in different time zones, including back-to-back games in Milwaukee and Denver on Thursday and Friday night, the Lakers (41-25) were the team that set the tone early.
They scored the game’s first seven points, a lead that grew to 31-15 at the end of the first quarter and 54-37 at halftime.
Doncic had 13 points and three assists in the first, with Hayes scoring eight points of his scoring total in the opening period.
The Lakers benefited from the Suns’ stars struggling with their shots.
Kevin Durant (21 points, nine rebounds) and Devin Booker (19 points, 11 assists, six rebounds) both shot 6-of-17 from the field.
Phoenix shot just 39.3% from the field (35 for 89) and 22% (9 for 41) from beyond the arc. Bradley Beal (four points, two rebounds) didn’t play in the second half because of left hamstring soreness.
The Suns (31-37) have lost three of their last four games and 16 of 21 going back to Feb. 1.