On October 23, Beijing time, the Lakers played at home against the Suns, and they were hit by Paul in the first half. Paul not only scored in double figures in the first half, but also frequently sent out wonderful passes, scoring 11 points and 10 assists in the first half. Paul gave Westbrook and the Lakers a lesson. On the Lakers side, James maintained a stable performance, scoring 11 points and shooting 3 of 4 from three-point range, but the thick eyebrow brother was in a slump, only having 4 points and 4 rebounds. Although Westbrook had 8 points and 4 assists, he had a plus-minus of -10. The Lakers also erupted infighting, with Thick Brow and Howard arguing on the bench.
The Lakers were eliminated 4-2 by the Suns in the first round of the playoffs last season, and James' dream of defending his title was shattered. In this game, the Lakers wanted to take revenge on the Suns, and the team had the upper hand in the first quarter, but was hanged in the second quarter.
Westbrook was in poor form in the opener, with only 8 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists, 4 turnovers, and a plus-minus of -23 worst in the game. Wei Shao fought fiercely in the first quarter and quickly scored 6 points. James hit consecutive three-pointers from the perimeter.
But in the second quarter, the Suns set off a fierce offensive wave under Paul's leadership, playing 34-18 to surpass the Lakers. Thick-browed brother is in a slump, shooting 1-of-5, with 4 points and 4 rebounds, and he has a fierce argument with Howard on the bench. The two had a verbal altercation, and the thick-browed brother reached out and pushed Howard to sit on the bench.
At this time, the other Players of the Lakers separated the two, Bradley and Takla Jr. walked thick eyebrows. The thick-browed brother was still chattering, pointing at Howard. James was on the other side to soothe Howard's emotions.
The Lakers have built a luxurious lineup this season, and they didn't expect to play only two games before there was infighting. The Lakers suffered six straight losses in preseason and lost in the opener, and although the manager and players declared that they were fine, they were under great pressure.