Lakers vs Suns Preview and Game Thread: Time to get back on track

The Lakers will face a Suns team that’s also itching to get back to the winning column on Tuesday.

The Lakers look to snap their two-game losing streak as they head on the road to take on the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday. This will be an NBA Cup game in West Group B.

Start time and TV schedule

Who: Los Angeles Lakers vs. Phoenix Suns

When: 7 p.m. PT, Nov 26

Where: Footprint Center

Watch: TNT, Spectrum SportsNet

We all deserved a two-day break after that lousy performance the Lakers put together in the second half against the Denver Nuggets on Saturday.

It was ironic because in my preview ahead of that match against the Nuggets, I asked whether or not the Lakers will finally stand up against the the team that has kicked them out of the playoffs in each of the last two years and, unfortunately, we got our answer — even if the purple and gold are adamant that the Nuggets don’t hold a mental edge over them.

Whether or not that’s true remains moot right now because this team needs to move on from the last two disappointing losses and focus on this upcoming two-game road trip. The first one will be against the Suns, who aim to snap the Lakers’ NBA Cup winning streak dating back to last season.

Here’s what to look out for in the Pacific Division clash:

Both teams trying to get back on track

Since they lost Kevin Durant to a mild calf injury, the Suns have lost seven out of their last eight games. That’s pretty bad considering that this is the same Phoenix team that started the season with an 8-1 record, the one loss was against the Lakers on the road. So it’s a big sigh of relief for the Suns that they not only get KD back on Tuesday, but also Bradley Beal.

Like the Lakers, this Suns team wants to get back into the win column, so expect another intense and most likely close match on Tuesday. Remember, JJ Redick was extremely harsh on himself for his defensive coverage on Kevin Durant after the Lakers’ game against the Suns not more than a month ago. It will be interesting to see if there are improvements on that end.

As has been in the last two games, this will be a battle between both team’s superstars. The goal for the purple and gold is to limit the production of KD, Beal and Devin Booker, which obviously isn’t an easy task but something they’ve been able to do. This Lakers team went toe-to-toe with the Suns last game despite LeBron James scoring just 11 points, so it’ll be nice to see a different version of LeBron in this one.

NBA Cup stakes

Currently in Group B, the Lakers (2-0) lead their peers with a point differential of +11 followed by the Oklahoma City Thunder at 1-1 (+10) then the San Antonio Spurs, Suns and Utah Jazz.

Basically, if the Lakers beat the Suns tomorrow, they will significantly strengthen their chance to advance to the knockout stage. If they lose to the Suns — who badly need to win if they want to remain alive in the NBA Cup — then L.A. will have a 2-1 record ahead of their match against the Thunder late this week.

Meanwhile, the Suns have to beat the Lakers by as many points as possible if they want to remain in the tournament via point difference.

Let’s see which team successfully gets back to the winning column and wins their third NBA Cup game this season on Tuesday.

Notes and Updates

• For the Lakers’ injury report, Anthony Davis (left plantar fasciitis) is listed as probable.
• Jaxson Haynes (left ankle sprain) is no longer on the report, which means he’ll be ready to go on Tuesday.
• Jarred Vanderbilt (right foot surgery recovery), Christian Wood (left knee surgery recovery) and Bronny James Jr. (left heel contusion) are out. Jalen Hood-Schifino will be with South Bay Lakers.
• As for the Suns, Kevin Durant (left calf strain) and Bradley Beal (left calf strain) are probable while Collin Gillespie (right ankle fracture) is out.
• We will be live on Playback for this game, so be sure to join us!

You can follow Nicole on Twitter at @nicoleganglani.