LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers were on the road on Sunday night to face the Phoenix Suns at Mortgage Matchup Center. A showdown against the Suns only meant that James would face a familiar foe in Dillon Brooks, who has been a known rival for the NBA ’s all-time leading scorer.

The Suns acquired Green from Houston in the Kevin Durant trade before the 2025 draft. Green first injured his hamstring during training camp. He then reinjured it during a weeklong stay in China as the Suns played two preseason games against the Brooklyn Nets.

Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick said he was happy for Jarred Vanderbilt after the win against the Phoenix Suns.

PHOENIX -- Ever since the Phoenix Suns acquired Dillon Brooks this summer, he has spearheaded a huge culture shift that has led to Phoenix completely changing its identity and surpassing all preseason expectations to this point with a 14-11 record so far.

The Los Angeles Lakers (17-7) visit the Phoenix Suns (14-11) on Sunday. Tip-off from Mortgage Matchup Center in Phoenix, Arizona, is at 8 p.m. ET. Let's analyze BetMGM Sportsbook's NBA odds around the Lakers vs. Suns odds and make our expert NBA picks and predictions for the best bets.

Going into the 2025-26 season, the Phoenix Suns could not afford to lose Devin Booker, their star player. Leading the Suns this season with 25.0 points per game, he suffered a right groin injury against the Los Angeles Lakers on December 1st.

— The Suns went 8:05 without scoring a point. In an NBA game. They led 77-71 with 5:28 to go in the third quarter and didn’t score again until Grayson Allen hit two free throws with 9:23 to go in the fourth. They went 10:11 without a made field goal.

Games like the Suns’ loss to the Lakers on Sunday night are the ones that punch you right in the gut. They feel mucky. They feel gross. For a Phoenix team that lives on rhythm and disruption, this was one of those nights where it felt like the game was taken out of their hands by a whistle that never loosened up.