The Los Angeles Lakers suffered their first loss of the 2024-25 season in a hard-fought game against their Pacific Division rival, the Phoenix Suns.

The Lakers lost the match 109:105, missed crucial opportunities later on and ultimately failed in the second and fourth quarters – the two most crucial phases of the game.

While an undefeated season was never on the cards, a narrow loss to a team they’ll likely be fighting for a playoff spot is still hard to swallow. Here are five key takeaways from the Lakers’ performance against Phoenix:

1. Head coach JJ Redick takes responsibility

This was Redick’s first loss as an NBA head coach and he didn’t shy away from taking responsibility. After the game, Redick admitted that he could have made strategic decisions differently and took the blame for his team’s loss.

“We said we wanted to be a trial team,” Redick said. I enjoyed our process tonight I enjoyed this. They’re playing to a high standard defensively and I’ll have to look at that, but in some ways I felt like that. We lost to Kevin Durant and Devin Booker’s ability to hit two balls. But I liked the group that we had out there, and I would say that we should never have a 14-point quarter either. To make sure that we perform well on offense, I felt like it was a little random was, and became stalled. We talked about it at halftime that in order to be a high-level offense, we need to move bodies and move the ball. They were allowed to demonstrate and they kind of got us out of what we were doing at the beginning and we were great in the second half. We put in a great performance in the second half. It was just the second quarter that really hurt us.”

It’s clear he’s setting a responsible tone as he begins his coaching tenure that could go a long way toward building trust with this Lakers team.

2. LeBron James’ 10-point streak continues

LeBron James’ record-breaking streak of scoring more than 10 points in every regular-season game since January 2007 was in jeopardy late in the fourth quarter. But a crucial three-pointer enabled him to keep the winning streak alive and demonstrated the 39-year-old’s resilience and reliability, even in crucial moments.

3. The second and fourth quarter losses proved costly

The Lakers struggled offensively in both the second and fourth quarters, which ultimately cost them the game. After a strong 34-point opening quarter, they only managed 14 points in the second quarter, erasing their early lead and putting them behind heading into halftime. In the fourth game, Phoenix beat them 33:22 and secured the victory. These two quarters highlighted areas where the Lakers need to be more consistent if they want to compete in a competitive Western Conference.

4. Anthony Davis remains the Lakers’ focal point.

Davis has established himself as the Lakers’ most influential player, a status that will be reinforced in this game. He led the team with 29 points on 12-for-24 shooting and added 15 rebounds, three assists, one steal and three blocks. While James continues to play a crucial role, it’s clear that Davis is the focal point in the Redick system and the Lakers’ success depends largely on his performances night in and night out.

5. The Lakers can compete with the best.

Despite the loss, the Lakers remained competitive against one of the top teams in the Western Conference. LeBron wasn’t at his best and they stayed in the middle until the final minutes. As Redick’s coaching approach took shape, the Lakers showed signs that they could be a real threat in the West this season.

The Lakers will have a chance to bounce back on Wednesday when they travel to Cleveland to take on LeBron’s former team, the Cavaliers.

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