“Jaxson is low key the difference maker on this team” — Lakers fans react to matinee win over Suns

The Lakers bounced back from a rough road trip with a win on Sunday over the Suns, which our readers had plenty of positive reactions to.

After a brutal road trip that saw them lose all four games, the Lakers returned to Los Angeles for a matinee game against the Suns.

With a number of the players who missed Friday’s game against the Nuggets back in the lineup, the Lakers found their way back into the win column as well. Luka Dončić continued his bitter rivalry with the Suns, nearly dropping a 30-point triple-double. Austin Reaves added 28 as well.

The very unserious Suns helped out by going 9-41 from the 3-point line while Kevin Durant and Devin Booker were a combined 12-34 from the field and 2-10 from range.

Thanks to a hot start and a strong first quarter, it was a relatively worry-free game for the Lakers, their fans and our readers in the live game thread.

Here’s a look at the live reactions to Sunday’s win.

First quarter: “Jax super active!”

The Lakers flew out of the gate in the first quarter, thanks in large part to...Jaxson Hayes? The big man returned to the lineup after a week out injured and looked like he hadn’t missed a beat. He was drawing fouls, finishing at the rim and looking as good as he has all season.

Second quarter: “Poor coach Bud”

While the Suns bounced back from their poor start to the game, they made no serious, threatening run. The lead never dipped into single digits as the Lakers went into the locker room up 19.

Third quarter: “Classic third quarter Lakers”

Eventually, every team in the NBA makes a run. If you were a betting man or woman, you would have guaranteed that run against the Lakers would come in the third quarter.

Led by Kevin Durant, Phoenix made a run to finally get the lead under double digits early in the period. However, the Lakers had a response to keep the visitors at arm’s length.

Fourth quarter: “Held to less than 100 points”

While the Suns did enough to force the Lakers to execute, the lead never really felt like it was in danger in the fourth. The Lakers’ defense forced Phoenix into just 39.3% shooting overall and 22% from range.

You can follow Jacob on Twitter at @JacobRude or on Bluesky at @jacobrude.bsky.social.