Analyzing Sunday’s Phoenix Suns at Los Angeles Lakers odds and lines, with NBA expert picks, predictions and best bets.

Hometown kid Dalton Knecht helped out the Lakers with 32 points in a starting role. The Nuggets couldn’t defend, but they found enough buckets in the end.

Jamal Murray sank a 3-pointer with 5.6 seconds left and Russell Westbrook stole the inbounds pass for a exclamation-point dunk as the Denver Nuggets rebuffed the scrappy, short-handed Los Angeles Lakers 131-126 on Friday night.

Fortunately, with the game on the line, Nikola Jokic set a massive (moving?) screen, taking out two defenders, which opened the door for Jamal Murray to save the day for the Nuggets. It was an ugly win for the Nuggets,

The Suns got the lead down to single digits in the third and got it down to eight after a triple by Royce O’Neale (10 points) after an 8-0 run through 7:04. After the Lakers pushed the lead back to 16, the Suns had another 7-0 surge that cut the Lakers' lead to nine at 1:40. The Suns continue to struggle on just 19.4% from the perimeter.