Here are five takeaways from the Lakers’ 114-108 overtime exhibition loss to the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday night:
1. The Lakers showed signs of being a good and bad defensive team all in one game. They held the Phoenix Suns to 17 points in the fourth quarter, which allowed the Lakers to actually take a lead. But once the game went into a five-minute overtime, the Lakers gave up 20 points – in just five minutes.
2. Reserve forward/center Ed Davis had another good game for the Lakers. Davis had 11 points on four-for-five shooting, six rebounds and three blocked shots. This was after he had eight points on four-for-five shooting, three rebounds and one blocked shot against Utah on Sunday night.
3. Before Tuesday night’s game, Lakers Coach Byron Scott was asked what’s holding Wesley Johnson back from being the player who was selected fourth overall by Minnesota in the 2010 NBA draft.
“Wesley, I think,” Scott said. “I just don’t think he has the ultimate confidence in himself right now.”
That was a telling comment from Scott about Johnson.
Johnson then went out and played an up and down game against the Suns. He had 15 points and eight rebounds, but he missed two free throws with 9.5 seconds left in the fourth that could have sealed a game the Lakers led by two points at that moment. He also had eight turnovers.
4. Carlos Boozer (12 points) and Jordan Hill (14 points, seven rebounds) played better together in the front court for the Lakers.
5. Julius Randle still has a ways to go. The rookie forward missed four of his five shots and turned the ball over twice.
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