Phoenix Suns’ depth forces Stephen A. Smith to question Los Angeles Lakers

Sports analyst Stephen A. Smith went on First Take with a message directed at the Lakers, but the subtext leaned heavily toward the Suns. Smith criticized Los Angeles for its level of play and inability to use its depth in key moments — especially in the final seconds, when a defensive stop was desperately needed.

It wasn’t just the defense, as Smith put it. It was also the Lakers’ failure to counter Phoenix’s depth on offense.

“Let’s look at the Lakers here,” Smith said. “What the hell is Grayson Allen doing looking like the second coming of Steph Curry or somebody? The guy comes in, got 28 points. Why is your bench getting outscored by 31 points to the Phoenix Suns?”

In a game that required heavy contributions from both benches, Phoenix kept pace with Los Angeles as they outscored them 31-0 in the third quarter. Lakers star Luka Dončić poured in 41 points, making it essential for the Suns’ supporting cast to respond.

They did.

Four Phoenix players scored in double figures, consistently forcing the Lakers’ defense into difficult rotations it struggled to solve.

Most importantly, the victory came without two of the Suns’ top contributors. Smith continued to zero in on the Lakers’ predicament, noting they now sit just one game ahead of Phoenix in the Western Conference standings.

“If you’re the Los Angeles Lakers, who are now just one game ahead of the Phoenix Suns for the sixth seed in the Western Conference playoff picture to avoid the play-in, you got to look at them and say to yourself, ‘Excuse me. You’re losing to the Phoenix Suns without Devin Booker and Dillon Brooks? Both of them are out and you still lose to the Phoenix Suns?’ Listen, that’s a problem.”

While Smith’s comments were aimed squarely at Los Angeles, they also underscored what Phoenix has become this season. The Suns have emerged as an X-factor, climbing the standings after entering the year with tempered expectations. They have repeatedly positioned themselves as a difficult matchup, and Thursday’s contest was another example.

Phoenix still controls part of its postseason fate, and the rest of the NBA is taking notice. The Suns are no longer just another game on the schedule — they are a legitimate obstacle.

When analysts express this level of frustration about a team beaten by Phoenix, it signals something is working. The Suns’ scrappiness and commitment to playing through the final buzzer have defined their season.

The win over Los Angeles may have been their biggest test yet.

And they passed.