The “Beat LA!” chants have faded through the years. As the Suns and Lakers tangled Wednesday night in downtown Phoenix, nearly seven years had passed since the two met in the Western Conference finals.
For both, much has changed.
For the Suns, the biggest change is obvious. They haven’t been back to the playoffs since, producing just one winning season over the stretch. The only two players left from that playoff run, Jared Dudley and Leandro Barbosa, come off the bench.
The Lakers suffered a similar fall, just not as steep. After winning the 2010 NBA title, they were eliminated from the 2011 Western Conference finals.