Royce O’Neale Late Three-Pointer Lifts Short-Handed Suns Over Lakers 113-110

2026-02-27 - 05:45

Phoenix Suns forward Royce O’Neale made a go-ahead three-pointer with 0.9 seconds remaining to defeat the Los Angeles Lakers 113-110 on Thursday at Footprint Center. The victory came after Phoenix surrendered a 12-point fourth-quarter lead and survived a missed buzzer-beating attempt from Lakers guard Austin Reaves. The result marks the third consecutive loss for Los Angeles, dropping the team’s record to 34-24. Despite the defeat, Luka Dončić led all scorers with 41 points, eight rebounds, and eight assists while playing through reported eye soreness. Phoenix improved to 34-26 despite the absence of All-Star guard Devin Booker and forward Dillon Brooks. Grayson Allen provided 28 points for the Suns, including four three-pointers during a third-quarter surge. Reserve guard Collin Gillespie added 21 points, hitting critical shots to maintain the Phoenix lead late in the game. LeBron James tied the score at 110 with a put-back layup with 22.7 seconds left before Allen found O’Neale for the deciding shot. Lakers head coach JJ Redick credited the Suns’ perimeter execution after Phoenix finished 22-of-50 from beyond the arc. The Lakers had previously erased a double-digit deficit in the final six minutes, capped by a Reaves three-pointer that tied the game at 108. “We fought back to give ourselves a chance,” Redick said during