Lakers vs. Suns Game Preview: Catch the break

The Los Angeles Lakers are 48 minutes of regulation basketball away from catching a much needed break, with sweet All-Star weekend vacation just four quarters of basketball in the home of the Phoenix Suns away.

You can almost taste the pina coladas.

Nevermind that this outing will be a back-to-back, it’s time for the Lakers to barrel on through the brick wall in front of them to enjoy the splendors on the other side. The Lakers won’t play again until Feb. 24, a full nine days of glorious rest and relaxation. It’s a chance for the team to gather itself before making one final push into the darkness of the last leg of the regular season.

A chance to heal up the dings and bruises, and a chance to re-evaluate the process on and off the court.

The Lakers’ front office has to be hoping for one last game of the same from Lou Williams, who put on a bench-scoring clinic against the Sacramento Kings Tuesday night. One game won’t alter the perception of who Lou is as an NBA player, but it never hurts to leave a good last impression. As it stands, he remains linked as the likeliest Laker to be on the move after tonight, though rumors are a dime a dozen this time of the year.

The Suns are a fun matchup for the Lakers — they are one of the few teams in the league with a worse record, after all — with Devin Booker and D’Angelo Russell competing in opposing backcourts. For those keeping an eye on the standings, there are few bigger nights than this one for the Lakers.

Enjoy the game, and what may be the last time we see any number of these players on the Lakers. It’s the same line of thought every year heading into the final game before the All-Star break hits. You just never know what could happen between now and the trade deadline, so buckle up for one last dose of Lakers basketball.

Time: 6 p.m. PT

TV: Spectrum SportsNet