The Los Angeles Lakers walked into Monday night with momentum and a seven-game winning streak, but the run didn’t survive a red-hot performance from Dillon Brooks and a resilient Phoenix Suns squad. Despite losing Devin Booker early to a groin injury, the Suns produced one of their strongest team efforts of the season and rolled to a 125-108 road win.
The night didn’t start ideally for Phoenix. Booker, who opened aggressively and scored 11 points in just 10 minutes, suddenly headed to the locker room and never returned. He later reappeared on the bench in street clothes, leaving fans confused and anxious. Coach Jordan Ott said the team will evaluate Booker further on Tuesday.
Before he exited, Booker quietly reached a massive career milestone. He became the third-youngest player in NBA history to reach 17,000 points and 3,600 assists, only LeBron James and Oscar Robertson did it at a younger age. Even after he was gone, the Suns made sure the night still belonged to them.
Dillon Brooks – Phoenix Suns
How did Dillon Brooks play after Booker’s injury?
Brooks completely took over the offense. He dropped 33 points and carried Phoenix when they needed a steady scoring punch. Collin Gillespie also surprised everyone by draining eight three-pointers on his way to 28 points, giving the Suns a second major scoring lift. Phoenix piled up contributions across the roster too, with Mark Williams and Jordan Goodwin adding 13 each and Royce O’Neale dishing out 11 assists.
The Lakers looked dangerous early and briefly built a second-quarter lead when Booker was out. But once Phoenix tightened up its defense, the entire game flipped. The Suns closed the half on a dominant 19-4 run and went into the break ahead 66-52. Brooks stayed hot in the third quarter, and Phoenix continued building the lead until it reached 21 points.
Lakers and Suns game review: Dendre Ayton played just as well as Dillon Brooks!
Los Angeles struggled to keep up offensively and didn’t help itself with sloppy ball control. The Lakers committed 22 turnovers, which the Suns converted into a huge 32-point swing. Even Luka Doncic’s 38 points and 11 rebounds couldn’t pull them out of the hole, and Austin Reaves’ 16 points weren’t enough either. LeBron James returned after missing Sunday’s game with a sore foot, but he finished with just 10 points, although he extended his legendary streak of double-digit scoring games to 1,297.
Los Angeles Lakers v Phoenix Suns
Deandre Ayton also made headlines by facing his former team again and finishing with 12 points and nine rebounds. For Phoenix, the victory was meaningful not just because it ended the Lakers’ streak, but because it snapped their own two-game slide and set a positive tone for a four-game road trip. The Suns were already missing Grayson Allen for the eighth time in nine games, so seeing the team pull off a dominant win shorthanded was a strong sign.
Even without their superstar, Phoenix showed fire, depth, and urgency, and if Booker’s injury turns out to be manageable, this win could mark a turning point for their season.