Lakers eliminated from playoff contention with loss to Suns

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  • Injured Lakers forward LeBron James talks with Phoenix Suns guard Chris Paul during the first half of their game on Tuesday night in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)

  • Lakers forward Anthony Davis shoots over Phoenix Suns center JaVale McGee (00) and forward Mikal Bridges during the first half on Tuesday night in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)

  • Lakers guard Talen Horton-Tucker drives past Phoenix Suns center JaVale McGee during the first half on Tuesday night in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)

  • Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker dunks against the Lakers during the first half on Tuesday night in Phoenix. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

  • Lakers guard Russell Westbrook attempts a shot over Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker, left, and Jae Crowder during the first half on Tuesday night in Phoenix. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

  • Phoenix Suns center JaVale McGee blocks the shot of Lakers forward Anthony Davis during the first half on Tuesday night in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)

  • The Phoenix Suns’ Devin Booker handles the ball as the Lakers’ D.J. Augustin defends during the first half on Tuesday night in Phoenix. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

  • Lakers forward Carmelo Anthony shoots over Phoenix Suns guard Landry Shamet during the first half on Tuesday night in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)

  • The Phoenix Suns’ Jae Crowder smiles after making a 3-point shot against the Lakers during the first half on Tuesday night in Phoenix. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

  • Lakers guard D.J. Augustin drives past Phoenix Suns forward Cameron Johnson during the first half on Tuesday night in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)

  • Phoenix Suns center Deandre Ayton shoots during the first half of their game against the Lakers on Tuesday night in Phoenix. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

  • Lakers guard Talen Horton-Tucker drives past Phoenix Suns center JaVale McGee during the first half on Tuesday night in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)

  • The Lakers’ Talen Horton-Tucker shoots a layup as Phoenix Suns center JaVale McGee tries to block it during the first half on Tuesday night in Phoenix. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

  • Lakers center Dwight Howard is fouled by Phoenix Suns forward Mikal Bridges during the first half on Tuesday night in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)

  • Injured Lakers star LeBron James watches from the bench during the first half of their game against the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday night in Phoenix. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

  • The Lakers’ Russell Westbrook attempts a shot past the Phoenix Suns’ Cameron Johnson (23) during the first half on Tuesday night in Phoenix. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

  • The Phoenix Suns’ Devin Booker, right, slaps hands with Chris Paul after a 3-point shot during the first half of their game against the Lakers on Tuesday night in Phoenix. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

  • Lakers center Dwight Howard drives between Phoenix Suns forward Mikal Bridges, left, and forward Jae Crowder during the first half on Tuesday night in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)

  • Lakers rookie guard Austin Reaves sits on the bench during the first half of their game against the Suns on Tuesday night in Phoenix. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

  • Lakers guard Russell Westbrook gets past Phoenix Suns center Deandre Ayton on his way to the basket for a layup during the first half on Tuesday night in Phoenix. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

  • Lakers center Dwight Howard shoots over Phoenix Suns center Deandre Ayton during the first half on Tuesday night in Phoenix. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

  • Phoenix Suns center Deandre Ayton reacts after scoring against the Lakers during the first half on Tuesday night in Phoenix. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

  • The Suns’ Devin Booker puts up a 3-point shot over Lakers guard Avery Bradley during the second half on Tuesday night in Phoenix. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

  • Lakers guard Russell Westbrook talks to referee Derrick Collins during the second half of their game against the Suns on Tuesday night in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)

  • Lakers guard Austin Reaves, left, fouls Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker during the second half on Tuesday night in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)

  • Phoenix Suns center Deandre Ayton attempts a shot over Lakers center Dwight Howard during the second half on Tuesday night in Phoenix. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

  • Phoenix Suns center Deandre Ayton celebrates during the second half of their game against the Lakers on Tuesday night in Phoenix. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

  • Lakers guard Avery Bradley fouls Phoenix Suns guard Chris Paul during the second half on Tuesday night in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)

  • Phoenix Suns center Deandre Ayton dunks against the Lakers during the second half on Tuesday night in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)

  • Phoenix Suns forward Mikal Bridges gets to the basket as Lakers center Dwight Howard looks on during the second half on Tuesday night in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)

  • The Phoenix Suns’ Cameron Johnson attempts a 3-point shot over Lakers guard Austin Reaves during the second half on Tuesday night in Phoenix. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

  • Phoenix Suns forward Mikal Bridges dunks as Lakers forward Carmelo Anthony and guard Austin Reaves (15) watch during the second half on Tuesday night in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)

  • Lakers coach Frank Vogel watches from the sidelines during the second half of their game against the Suns on Tuesday night in Phoenix. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

  • The Suns’ Devin Booker gets to the basket for a layup as the Lakers’ Austin Reaves, right, and Carmelo Anthony (7) look on during the second half on Tuesday night in Phoenix. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

  • Phoenix Suns forward Gabriel Lundberg drives around the Lakers’ Talen Horton-Tucker during the second half on Tuesday night in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)

  • The Suns’ Jae Crowder puts up a 3-point shot against the Lakers during the second half on Tuesday night in Phoenix. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

  • Phoenix Suns guard Cameron Payne passes the ball as the Lakers’ Malik Monk looks on during the second half on Tuesday night in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)

  • Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker gets to the basket during the second half of their game against the Lakers on Tuesday night in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)

  • Phoenix Suns guard Chris Paul handles the ball as the Lakers’ Avery Bradley defends during the second half on Tuesday night in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)

  • Phoenix Suns center Deandre Ayton shoots over Lakers forward Carmelo Anthony during the second half on Tuesday night in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)

  • Phoenix Suns center Deandre Ayton, left, and forward Torrey Craig react after a basket against the Lakers during the second half on Tuesday night in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)

  • The Phoenix Suns’ Cameron Johnson gets past the Lakers’ Carmelo Anthony (7) and Anthony Davis, right, on his way to the basket during the second half on Tuesday night in Phoenix. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

  • Lakers big man Anthony Davis walks to the bench during the second half of their loss to the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday night in Phoenix. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

  • Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker gets to the basket in front of the Lakers’ Wenyen Gabriel during the second half on Tuesday night in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)

  • Lakers big man Anthony Davis walks off the court following their loss to the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday night in Phoenix. The 121-110 defeat eliminated the Lakers from postseason contention. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

  • Injured Lakers star LeBron James, right, hugs Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker following their game on Tuesday night in Phoenix. The Lakers’ 121-110 loss eliminated them from postseason contention. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

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PHOENIX — It shouldn’t have come to this.

The hardest possible opponent. One star sidelined with an injury. Another grimacing with every other step. Praying for other results in other arenas to go their way.

But the Lakers’ mistakes, miscues and misfortunes accumulated a debt, and on Tuesday night at the Footprint Center, the tab came due.

A season that began with title-contending proclamations finally came tumbling down, as the Lakers (31-48) lost, 121-110, to the league-leading Phoenix Suns and were eliminated from the postseason with three games still remaining in the regular season. It was the Lakers’ seventh consecutive loss, all of them coming in games with increasingly severe stakes.

Russell Westbrook careened through the paint for 28 points, one of his better scoring games as a Laker, but it wasn’t enough. Anthony Davis trudged through the pain of a sprained right foot to claw for 21 points and 13 rebounds, but it wasn’t enough.

“I can say it’s not been due to a lack of effort: We have all put in the work,” Coach Frank Vogel said. “Our guys stayed fighting right until the end.”

Well, not the very end.

When the Lakers crashed this season, they crashed hard – and their final meaningful game was no exception. After scrapping with the Suns (who eliminated them in the first round of last year’s playoffs) for a half, Phoenix laid into them in a 35-22 third quarter that made the ending plain as day.

On a fast break, Chris Paul tossed a lob to Mikal Bridges, who flexed and bellowed underneath the basket with his team up by 24. Vogel called a timeout, and his team trudged back to the bench with their heads cast down – already beaten in spirit with more than 15 minutes left.

Much of the work was done by Devin Booker, the 25-year-old Suns star who takes pleasure in tearing the Lakers apart. After scoring 47 points in last season’s Game 6 series-clincher, he poured in 32 points to set fire to any remaining hope the Lakers had. Including last year’s playoffs, the Suns have now won the last seven meetings between the teams.

Only 18 months removed from their own title, the Lakers will now spend the playoffs at home. It is made all the more bitter by the assembly of star power and experience in their locker room.

“Anger. Disappointment,” Davis said of his stewing emotions after the loss. “Knowing what it takes to get to that championship level and the last two years, the last two seasons, we haven’t been able to do that.”

Over the course of months, injuries and an underachieving roster painted the Lakers into a corner in which they needed everything to go right to give them one last shot at redemption.

As was typical for this season, things went wrong.

As the Lakers tried to stave off the Suns in the second quarter, a critical piece of the Lakers’ doom clicked into place: The San Antonio Spurs – helmed by an old franchise rival in Gregg Popovich – managed to knock off the favored Denver Nuggets on the road without Dejounte Murray. In Sacramento, the New Orleans Pelicans successfully held off the Kings, drying up the Lakers’ routes to the play-in tournament between Nos. 9 and 10 in the Western Conference.

The Lakers had killed their own hopes in the last week, falling to the Pelicans twice, both home and away. Veteran forward Carmelo Anthony struggled to put a finger on why the team never found its backbone when times got most desperate.

“You didn’t see much of guys just straying away from each other: It’s weird,” he said. “We didn’t get it done, man, that’s all I can say. We didn’t get it done.”

One of the biggest blows to the Lakers’ fading postseason dreams came hours before tip-off, when the team ruled out LeBron James, whose left ankle was too stiff and sore to play despite the high stakes. James sat on the bench wearing a white “LAKE SHOW” T-shirt with caricatures of franchise greats: Magic Johnson, Wilt Chamberlain, Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant among them.

By virtue of his 2020 championship, James certainly has a place among them – but no revision of history can help this sputtering campaign be remembered as anything but a colossal failure.

The Lakers made their big move in July, trading for Westbrook while leaving other possible deals on the table. Around the “Big Three,” they assembled a veteran-laden roster with nine players 32 or older, including five who were at least 35 years old. While this philosophy was met with some public skepticism, the Lakers brashly declared their experience as a distinct advantage.

“We’ve got a bunch of guys who have been in this league for quite a while, that understand and know what it takes to win,” James said during media day in September. “That’s the business that we’re in – of winning. And doing it all the time, and not just on occasion.”

But the Lakers never won as consistently as they envisioned, in part because injuries immediately affected them. James missed a number of early games with an abdominal strain and other issues, and by December, Davis was out with a knee sprain. In total, the Lakers’ three stars played just 21 games together – but it’s not clear whether health would have made them a contender, given that they were only 11-10 when they teamed up.

Many of the veterans brought in as role players were discarded: Wayne Ellington, Kent Bazemore and Trevor Ariza were among the players who didn’t crack the rotation by the end of the season. Rajon Rondo and DeAndre Jordan didn’t finish the season on the roster. The Lakers filled in these spots with afterthoughts and underdogs: Avery Bradley, Austin Reaves, Stanley Johnson, Wenyen Gabriel and D.J. Augustin. One of their biggest offseason signings, Kendrick Nunn, never played.

All these problems compiled: The Lakers never won consecutive games after Jan. 7, and after Davis was injured before the All-Star break, the team went just 4-17 afterward, when serious teams make the push toward the playoffs. The Lakers simply wilted.

On Tuesday night, the Lakers met their fate with acceptance. Vogel shook hands with Suns coach Monty Williams curtly, then briskly walked off the court. Davis and James took their time to shake hands with old friends and teammates before heading back to the locker room. Westbrook was among the last Lakers to leave, his jersey untucked.

It’s unclear exactly how the Lakers will manage those stars going forward. Davis said his foot soreness was worse than usual, and though James needs to play in two more games to officially compete for a scoring title, it might seem an empty consolation prize after the season has fallen so far short of expectations.

They all entered Tuesday night knowing how grave their situation was. Said Vogel: “We understand where we’re at. But our backs are against the wall.”

All season long, there was never a worse position for the Lakers to be.

“Our goal was to win a championship…injuries got in the way of that.” Anthony Davis talks about the frustration of the three Lakers stars not getting a chance to ‘figure it out’ and log minutes due to injuries. @LakersReporter pic.twitter.com/nSp7iFJSHZ

— Spectrum SportsNet (@SpectrumSN) April 6, 2022

“It’s not been due to a lack of effort…we just fell short through a disjointed season. We’re all disappointed.” Frank Vogel with @LakersReporter on the #Lakers missing out on the 2022 playoffs. pic.twitter.com/i2dnV0HxZx

— Spectrum SportsNet (@SpectrumSN) April 6, 2022

Russell Westbrook talks with @LakersReporter about tonight’s loss and the #Lakers season overall. pic.twitter.com/qP28mSvs2v

— Spectrum SportsNet (@SpectrumSN) April 6, 2022

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