The Los Angeles Lakers have made a fast start to the new NBA season and are 3-0 as they prepare for their first road game of the year against the Phoenix Suns on Monday night.
This is already the teams' second meeting of the season after the Lakers rallied to win 123-116 against the Suns in LA on Friday night. Phoenix enters this game with a 2-1 record.
The Lakers are off to a 3-0 start to the season for the first time in 14 years and while they now have to head out on the road for the first time to play Phoenix on Monday night. The Purple and Gold look set for another strong showing.
These teams played each other for the first time on Friday, with the Lakers winning by seven points, and they made it back-to-back home victories with a 131-127 success over the Kings on Saturday.
With star man LeBron James having had 48 hours to rest his 39-year-old legs, they can come out on top and maintain their unbeaten start.
It has not all been smooth sailing for the Lakers to this point. They trailed the Timberwolves by a point in their opener, when James and son Bronny became the first father-and-son team-mates in the NBA, but won the final three quarters in a 110-103 victory.
In the first meeting with the Suns, they rallied from a nine-point half-time deficit to win by seven, and against the Kings they blew a 15-point lead before again finishing strongly to come out on top by 131-127.
Having taken the Suns' best shot and survived, the Lakers should be confident of being competitive again, even given the change of venue.
The Suns' only loss of the season so far was to the Lakers in LA, and Phoenix beat the Clippers and Mavericks either side of that contest. Their two wins over the Lakers last season were their only victories in the teams' last eight meetings.
Austin Reaves doesn't grab the headlines as much as his more celebrated colleagues, but the 26-year-old shooting guard is sure to be in the middle of the action whenever they take the court.
Reeves has played at least 34 minutes of each of the Lakers' first three games and his strong all-round game should see him register a noteworthy combined tally of points, rebounds and assists again.
He had 26 points in the teams' first meeting, along with four rebounds and eight assists, and should be set for another busy night. He has cleared Monday night's line of 24.5 Points, Assists & Rebounds in all three games this season.
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Los Angeles Lakers | +130 ML |
Phoenix Suns | -155 ML |
Spread | PHO Suns -3.5 |
Total Points | O/U 227.5 |
Anthony Davis (LA Lakers) | O/U 26.5 |
Kevin Durant (PHX Suns) | O/U 25.5 |
LeBron James (LA Lakers) | O/U 22.5 |
Devin Booker (PHX Suns) | O/U 24.5 |
Bradley Beal (PHX Suns) | O/U 16.5 |
Austin Reaves (LA Lakers) | O/U 15.5 |
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This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.