Suns-Lakers pits two of NBA's youngest teams

Friday was exciting for fans of the Phoenix Suns and Los Angeles Lakers for varying reasons.

The Suns provided a thrilling finish with a last-second one-point overtime win at New Orleans. The Lakers surprised many with a double-digit home victory over the Golden State Warriors.

On Sunday night, the two youngest teams in the Pacific Division get together for the first time this season when the Suns visit the Lakers.

The Suns have won two of their first six games and are getting significant production from Devin Booker, who is averaging 19.5 points after a solid rookie campaign. The second-year guard scored 38 points and hit two-game-tying baskets late in regulation in Friday's 112-111 win decided on P.J. Tucker's inbounds pass to T.J. Warren for the game-winning backdoor dunk.

It was hard to say which was more impressive, the dunk or the fact Tucker was defended by Anthony Davis.

"Tuck, man, made a phenomenal play," Warren said. "It was an amazing pass, using his basketball IQ. It was just a perfect play."

It was the second straight overtime victory for the Suns and their third overtime game of the week. Phoenix also is the fifth team in NBA history to play three overtime games through the first six games of a season and has won consecutive overtime games for the first time since Feb. 27-28, 2011.

"We play this game at the end of every practice called 95-95," Suns coach Earl Watson said. "The team that reaches 100 in two minutes wins, so we are used to this. I don't mean for it to go into overtime every two games. I like the fact that our guys never stop fighting."

The Lakers are coming off seasons of 17 and 21 wins, respectively. Last year, Los Angeles needed 18 games to get its third win and in 2014-15, it took 12 games for the Lakers to reach three wins.

"Honestly, we're looking at the big picture and the big picture isn't beating Golden State and then losing Sunday night at home," Los Angeles coach Luke Walton said. "The big picture is we make it really hard on teams that come into Staples Center and get wins, and so far we've had two home games against two really good teams and won both."

Los Angeles reached its third win by getting 20 points apiece from Lou Williams and Julian Randle in a 117-97 blowout of the Warriors. Randle shot 10 of 18 from the floor and had a key block of Draymond Green at the rim while Williams had at least 10 points in the fourth quarter for the third straight game.

"He's a monster," Walton said of Randle, who is shooting 59 percent this season. "I mean he is. He's as big, strong and quick as anyone in the league."

It also was Los Angeles' third win against a team who made the postseason last year. The Lakers opened the season by beating the Houston Rockets and before Friday also won in Atlanta.

"It's a good start for us, and it's a great win for us," Randle said. "It shows how good we can be, but we've got to continue to build on it."

Los Angeles held Golden State to 5-of-32 from behind the arc and is allowing opponents to make 27.9 percent of their 3-pointers.

Phoenix has won 11 of the last 13 meetings with the Lakers. Sunday is the first meeting between the teams without Kobe Bryant on the roster since April 14, 1996, when Cedric Ceballos scored 23 points in a 118-114 Los Angeles win at the Inglewood Forum.