December 29 - For NBA betting fans, Monday's night's highly
anticipated showdown between fierce Pacific Division rivals the Phoenix Suns
and the LA Lakers delivered nail-biting basketball action and then some, but it
was home team the Suns who scorched a blistering 118-103 victory over the
Lakers.
From the moment the Phoenix Suns ran onto the court, they meant business and
played like a well-oiled machine. From the get go the Suns applied pressure to
the visitors and in doing so took control of the game. In each of the four
quarters the Suns managed to lengthen their lead, squeezing out the Lakers.
Notable players for the Suns included forward Amare Stoudemire who sizzled
across the court adding a team-high 26 points to the board. And not to be left
out, point guard Steve Nash also contributed an impressive 16 points to the
board, along with 13 assists to give the Suns victory at the final whistle.
Said Nash after the game, 'We played with toughness and grit. We had to get back
to that training-camp underdog mentality when many NBA observers picked the Suns
as a lottery team.' The pressure was undoubtedly on the Suns to deliver a win
after losing 3 of 4 games prior to the Lakers' showdown.
Of course the LA Lakers also had their star players, but they just couldn't
match the broiling Suns. One of which was shooting guard Kobe Bryant who managed
to score a whopping 34 points for his team. Unfortunately for Los Angeles,
despite Bryant's valiant efforts, it was just not enough to turn the tide.
The loss was LA's first in three games against Phoenix. In their previous
encounters, the Lakers dispatched the Suns by a total of 39 points. The win,
which had Suns fans yelling with joy, elevated the team to 20-12. The Lakers,
meanwhile, are 24-6 and as such are leading the Western Conference.
The next couple of games will be crucial for NBA betting fans as they root for
their teams to make it through to the playoffs. One thing is for sure though,
despite their most recent defeat, the LA Lakers are not going anywhere. The
Boston Celtics are heading up the Eastern Conference with 23 points.
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