The Lakers lost 38th game this season as they were blown out by the Suns (111-140) in Phoenix. The league leaders took control of the game early on and maintained their lead till the final buzzer.

“Played poorly,” Lakers head coach Frank Vogel said after the game. “How we performed to start the game, the whole night is unacceptable. Our ball security, focus on what we were trying to do offensively wasn’t there, led to a lot of turnovers and a lot of fast break points for them.

“Our defensive focus wasn’t where it needed to be either. This is a tough matchup to play small ball against with Deandre Ayton and their firepower in guard position. We knew that was going to be tough but we definitely have to be better than we were tonight.”

Despite the loss, Los Angeles remained in ninth place in the Western Conference with 29 wins and 38 losses while Phoenix sits atop with a 54-14 record.