PHOENIX — Grayson Allen had the answer every time the Los Angeles Lakers threatened to pull away. In a tightly contested Western Conference battle at Mortgage Matchup Center on Thursday night, the Phoenix Suns outlasted the Los Angeles Lakers 113-110, handing Luka Doncic and company their first road loss in a tough late-February showdown. Allen’s 28-point, 6-assist performance proved to be the difference in a game that came down to the final possessions, as Phoenix improved to 33-26 on the season in front of 17,071 fans.

Quarter-by-Quarter Breakdown

First Quarter: Lakers Jump Out Early — LAL 27, PHX 22

Los Angeles wasted no time establishing control, outscoring Phoenix 27-22 in the opening frame. The Lakers came out with sharp ball movement and got to the free-throw line early, building a five-point cushion heading into the second quarter. The Suns struggled to find a rhythm offensively in the early going, but showed enough resilience to keep the deficit manageable.

Second Quarter: Suns Flip the Script — PHX 27, LAL 22

Phoenix responded with a dominant second quarter, matching the Lakers’ first-quarter output exactly at 27-22 in their favor to level the score at 49-49 at halftime. Allen began to assert himself as a scorer, and the Suns’ three-point shooting — a major weapon all night — started clicking. The momentum swing heading into the locker room was a clear sign that Phoenix wasn’t going to be pushed around at home.

Third Quarter: Deadlock in the Desert — LAL 31, PHX 31

The third quarter was an evenly matched, high-intensity stretch that neither team could decisively win. Both squads scored 31 points, and Doncic kept the Lakers right in the thick of things with his scoring and playmaking. The Suns matched every run Los Angeles made, setting up a fourth quarter that would decide everything.

Fourth Quarter: Suns Close Strong — PHX 33, LAL 30

When it mattered most, Phoenix made the winning plays. The Suns outscored the Lakers 33-30 in the final frame to secure the three-point victory. Despite Doncic’s best efforts to will Los Angeles back into the lead down the stretch, the Suns’ depth and perimeter shooting gave them just enough of a cushion to close out the game. Phoenix’s ability to get to the free-throw line and convert late — going 11-of-14 from the stripe on the night — proved critical in the final minutes.

Key Performers

Grayson Allen — Phoenix Suns: 28 PTS, 6 AST

Allen was the unquestioned engine of the Suns’ offense on Thursday. The veteran guard finished with 28 points and 6 assists, serving as both a primary scorer and playmaker throughout the contest. His ability to knock down shots from the perimeter was a major factor in Phoenix going 22-of-50 from three-point range (44.0%), which gave the Suns a significant edge in total offense despite attempting more field goals than the Lakers.

Mark Williams — Phoenix Suns: 10 REB

Center Mark Williams anchored the Suns’ frontcourt, pulling down a team-high 10 rebounds to anchor Phoenix’s rebounding advantage. The Suns out-rebounded the Lakers 41-39, and Williams’ interior presence helped limit Los Angeles’ second-chance opportunities in the game’s critical moments.

Luka Doncic — Los Angeles Lakers: 41 PTS, 8 REB, 8 AST

Doncic put together one of the more impressive individual performances of the season in a losing effort. The Lakers’ star finished with 41 points, 8 rebounds, and 8 assists — narrowly missing a monster triple-double — and kept Los Angeles competitive from start to finish. Doncic’s efficiency was notable as well, with the Lakers shooting 50.7% from the field as a team and converting 23-of-26 free throws (88.5%). The problem for Los Angeles was that no one else stepped up sufficiently to shoulder the burden alongside Doncic when Phoenix made its decisive push in the fourth quarter.

Game Analysis

This game came down to two contrasting offensive approaches. The Lakers relied on a more traditional attack, shooting fewer threes (11-of-29, 37.9%) but getting to the free-throw line at a far higher rate — 26 attempts compared to Phoenix’s 14. The Suns, meanwhile, leaned heavily on their perimeter game, launching 50 three-point attempts and converting at a 44.0% clip. That volume three-point shooting ultimately gave Phoenix more total scoring opportunities despite the Lakers’ superior free-throw strategy.

Defensively, the Suns deserve credit for containing the Lakers collectively even while Doncic went for 41. Los Angeles managed just 110 points on 75 field goal attempts, and while their efficiency from the floor was solid, the Suns’ ability to limit easy baskets for everyone other than Doncic was the key to the victory. Phoenix’s 22 assists on 40 made field goals also illustrated a team playing with strong ball movement and cohesion throughout the night.

The fourth-quarter execution from Phoenix was the deciding factor. Winning the final frame 33-30 against a team as talented as the Lakers — and doing so while protecting a narrow lead — speaks to the competitive maturity this Suns group has developed. Allen’s 28 points were critical, but it was a full-team effort down the stretch that sealed it.

Standings & Series Implications

With the win, the Phoenix Suns improve to 33-26 overall (19-12 at home), keeping their playoff push firmly on track in a competitive Western Conference. The Los Angeles Lakers drop to 34-23 with the loss, though they remain one of the West’s top teams. For Phoenix, a home win over one of the conference’s best road teams (18-11 away) is a meaningful data point as the stretch run approaches. The Suns will look to build on this result, while the Lakers — despite Doncic’s incredible effort — will need contributions from the rest of the roster to avoid similar outcomes down the road.