The Phoenix Suns handled the Los Angeles Lakers in an efficient, no-nonsense manner, winning 132-108 before a sellout crowd of 17,071 on Tuesday at Mortgage Matchup Center.
The Suns (16-13) shot 58.8% from the field (14 of 34 from 3), scoring 24 points off 17 Lakersβ turnovers, and had six players reach double figures in avenging a 116-114 loss Dec. 14 in Phoenix.
They led by as many as 32 points in the second half in blitzing the Lakers (19-9), who were without Luka Doncic due to a lower left leg contusion.
Dillon Brooks scored a game-high 25 points in 24 minutes to lead Phoenix, while LeBron James paced the Lakers with 23 points. The Suns registered 35 assists.
Here are takeaways as the Suns start a four-game road trip on Friday against New Orleans (6 p.m. Friday, 5 p.m. Saturday) in the first of a back-to-back versus the Pelicans (8-23).
Balanced Suns scoring
All five Phoenix starters reached double figures.
Brooks: Shot 10 of 15 from the field, but didnβt have a rebound, assist or turnover for an odd stat line.
Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James squares up to Phoenix Suns forward Dillon Brooks during the first half, Tuesday, Dec. 23, 2025, in Phoenix.Β
A locked-in Brooks also didnβt have too much chatter and back-and-forth with James after the two wrote an intense chapter to their ongoing feud earlier this month.
His play spoke loudly enough as he scored on James multiple times, knocked down the 3 (3-of-6) and finished the game with a plus-20.
Devin Booker: Posted a double-double of 21 points and 11 assists to mark his fifth double-double of the season and 75th of his career.
Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker drives past Los Angeles Lakers forward Jake Laravia (12) during the second half, Tuesday, Dec. 23, 2025, in Phoenix.
Booker got to his spots, was patient and played with a relaxed, but consistent pace.
Mark Williams: The 7-footer, got the better of the big matchup against Laker center and ex-Arizona Wildcat Deandre Ayton this time.
Delivering 18 points on 7-of-8 shooting and nine rebounds, Williams responded to just seeing 18 minutes of action in the Dec. 20 loss at Golden State with an impact performance.
Collin Gillespie: Generated 16 points, eight assists, four rebounds and three steals in sharing the backcourt with Booker.
Royce OβNeale: Starting in place of the injured Grayson Allen, scored nine of his 12 points in the first half, going 3 of 4 from 3.
One more
Two-way player Jamaree Bouyea continues to impress, scoring 14 points off the bench with calmness, pace and confidence.
Bouyea gets it in defensively as heβs part of a defensive unit along with Jordan Goodwin, Ryan Dunn, Oso Ighodaro and Gillespie thatΒ Suns coach Jordan Ott is granting more minutes.
Listen, heβs a two-way player contractually, but Bouyea is in his fourth NBA season.
This will be the last year he can be on a two-way.
This is an established player who has been unable to stick with an NBA team. Phoenix is his sixth NBA team in four seasons.
The guy is having a career eruption from 3 at 52.2%, averaging a career-best 7.5 points.
Who knows if heβll stick with the Suns, but heβs making a case for another NBA team to make a long-term investment in him.
Won possession game
Ott spoke pregame on the importance of winning the possession game.
Booker had already made the point two days ago.
The Suns certainly handled that on Tuesday in attempting four more shots than the Lakers.
Phoenix even broke even with Los Angeles in made free throws. The Suns went 18 of 20 from the line while the Lakers went 18 of 29.
No Doncic factors into those numbers, but the Suns kept the Lakers off the offensive boards this time.
Back on Dec. 14, the Lakers scored 25 points on 24 offensive rebounds.
This time, Phoenix limited them to 14 offensive rebounds that still led to 23 points.
Winning the possession game helps Phoenix overcome its lack of size.
Next four games
Phoenix Suns forward Dillon Brooks (3) scores over Los Angeles Lakers center Deandre Ayton (5) and forward Jake Laravia (12) during the second half, Tuesday, Dec. 23, 2025, in Phoenix.Β
The Suns were seventh in the West as they entered the Tuesday game β three games behind the Houston Rockets.
Whoever predicted that before the season began, raise your hand and duck the lightning.
Phoenix has a chance to close the gap as three of their first four games on the road trip are against way-under .500 teams in the Pelicans and Washington Wizards (5-23), who have the NBAβs worst record.
A playoff team takes all three, even if theyβre in four days.
A play-in team drops one of those games.
A 1-2-3 Cancun team loses two of the three or all three.
The Suns then close the road trip early on New Yearβs Eve against the Cleveland Cavaliers in a return game for Ott, who was an assistant with the Cavs last season.
Could be emotional.
It could also be a chance for the Suns to go 4-0 on a road trip.
Phoenix is battle-tested.
The Suns completed a 14-game stretch in which they played the Lakers three times, defending NBA champion Thunder, Minnesota, Houston and Golden State twice and Denver, San Antonio and Sacramento once.
They went 7-7 over the course of those 14 games.
Sacramento (7-23) is the only team with a losing record in that gauntlet.
The Thunder, Spurs, Nuggets, Lakers, Timberwolves and Rockets are in the top six of the West while the Warriors are eighth. They have a combined record of 140-63.
Phoenix beat the T-Wolves and Lakers twice and topped the Spurs and Warriors once.
That stretch couldβve broken them, but it only made the Suns stronger in breaking even.
That stretch should have them ready to handle business against less formidable opponents in their next three games.
