The Lakers and Suns will meet in the knockout round of the NBA in-season tournament on Tuesday, with a trip to the semifinals in Las Vegas on the line. Phoenix will have both Kevin Durant and Devin Booker on the floor but will be without its third star, as Bradley Beal will miss his 18th consecutive game due to lower back issues.
And while Los Angeles coach Darvin Ham is undoubtedly fine with not having to see the Suns' “three-headed monster," he had plenty to say about the tall task of containing Durant and Booker.
“We haven’t seen the three-headed monster together as of yet,” Ham said, per Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. “Even with them having one of those guys out, they’re still a formidable ball club. They’re playing at a high level. Just try to go out and focus on what you need to do, put your best foot forward.”
Ham praised both Durant and Booker and lauded the latter for “taking his game to an entirely completely different level.” He was also blunt with a warning about how vital it is the Lakers don’t get “discouraged” defending the star duo.
“You’ve definitely got to have a multiple effort mentality, but yet still more so, a next play mentality because you can play the perfect defense and they still score,” Ham explained.
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This will mark the third time these two teams have squared off this season. The Lakers are 2–0 thus far, but this meeting will also mark the first time they’ve faced the Suns with both Durant and Booker on the floor.
Durant, who scored 39 and 38 points against the Lakers in the first two meetings, is averaging 31.0 points, 6.4 rebounds and 5.8 assists this season while shooting a stellar 49.4% from beyond the arc.
Booker has suited up in 11 games thus far, but his offensive evolvement has been impressive to witness. The 27-year-old guard has improved as a passer en route to averaging a career-best 8.4 assists per game while also posting a personal best scoring mark with 27.9 points per game.
