The Lakers' 13th different starting rotation in the 28th game of the season didn't help slow down an upstart Suns squad. They trailed by 13 points at halftime and lost by 27.
Miles Plumlee punished Pau Gasol and the Lakers on the inside en route to 17 points and 20 rebounds to lead the way for the Suns. Eric Bledsoe was three assists shy of a triple-double, and the tandem of Gerald Green and Marcus Morris off the bench rained down threes (they made 11 between them).
Nick Young provided a spark for the Lakers by scoring 10 points in the second quarter, but Purple and Gold didn't come ready to play against a very competitive Suns squad.
Key Player Grades
Pau Gasol, Los Angeles Lakers, Center
Pau Gasol returned to the Lakers' starting lineup after missing the previous game against the Golden State Warriors with an upper respiratory infection. He described the illness by saying, "I've been having some issues breathing," per Shahan Ahmed of NBC Los Angeles.
Gasol did not have an easy transition back to the court.
At one point in the third quarter, the Spaniard tried to swing through his defender, Miles Plumlee, but the two ended up knocking heads. Plumlee didn't blink, while Gasol started gushing blood from a cut above his right eye. That pretty much summed up his night.
Gasol was bullied by the Suns' center all night long on both ends of the court—specifically on the glass. He ended up with just 10 points on 4-of-12 shooting. His night ended early, likely because he's still recovering from illness.
Grade: C-
Jodie Meeks, Los Angeles Lakers, Shooting Guard
Jodie Meeks has had a hot hand throughout the 2013-14 season, but it wasn't on display against the Suns on Mond...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Los Angeles Lakers
