Since the Emirates NBA Cup’s inception during the 2023-24 season, the Los Angeles Lakers have found a way to play some of their best basketball during the tournament.
The Lakers went undefeated last year during Cup games and started this year’s edition with a perfect 2-0 record. However, Los Angeles finally dropped a game when they were blown out by the Phoenix Suns in embarrassing fashion.
The Lakers lost the game 127-100, completely wiping out the positive point differential they previously had and dropping them to third place in Group B. On the flip side, Phoenix entered the matchup with a negative point differential and now find themselves atop the Group B standings with a plus-19 point differential.