Lakers Vs Suns: O’Neale’s 0.9-Second 3 Stuns Lakers After Doncic’s 41

In a decisive lakers vs suns finish in Phoenix on Feb 26, 2026, Royce O’Neale buried a 3-pointer with 0. 9 seconds remaining to give the Suns a 113-110 victory over the Lakers. The ending matters because it extended Los Angeles’ streak of agonizing late losses and highlighted defensive breakdowns on the final possession.

Lakers Vs Suns: O'Neale’s last-second shot

The final sequence began with Grayson Allen driving into the lane and finding Collin Gillespie in the corner; Gillespie swung the ball quickly to an open Royce O’Neale, who sank the go-ahead 3 with 0. 9 seconds on the clock and whose shot "settled into the net cleanly. " Marcus Smart inbounded the ball on Phoenix’s final possession. On the ensuing Lakers attempt, LeBron James and Maxi Kleber set a double-screen to free Austin Reaves. Reaves floated to the corner, took a cross-court pass and missed the buzzer-beating 3 that would have extended the game. Reaves later said, "Just missed. "

Luka Doncic’s 41-point night and Los Angeles’ rally

Luka Doncic led the Lakers with 41 points, eight rebounds and eight assists. Los Angeles erased a 12-point deficit with 6: 28 left in the fourth quarter and tied the game at 108 on Reaves’ 3 with about a minute to play. Earlier, the Lakers opened the second half on an 11-0 run to take a 60-49 lead, capped by a DeAndre Ayton alley-oop dunk on a pass from Doncic. LeBron James finished with 15 points, six rebounds and five assists and produced a tip-in that tied the score at 110 with 22. 7 seconds remaining.

Grayson Allen and Collin Gillespie carry Phoenix scoring load

Grayson Allen finished with 28 points and six assists off the bench, scoring 16 points in the third quarter and hitting four 3-pointers in that period. Collin Gillespie poured in 21 points and made four 3-pointers in the fourth quarter. The Suns converted 22 of 50 attempts from beyond the arc (44%), a volume that proved decisive in a one-possession game.

Injuries, recent form and statistical context

Phoenix was short-handed; All-Star guard Devin Booker (right hip strain) and forward Dillon Brooks (left hand fracture) did not play, and Jordan Goodwin was also unavailable with a left calf strain. The Booker-Brooks duo is averaging roughly 45 points per game and the team has struggled to replace that production. This game was the Suns’ first time topping 100 points in regulation over their previous five games, and the club improved to 2–3 since the All-Star break. The matchup left both teams with near-identical records: the Lakers at 34–24 and the Suns at 34–26.

Coaching comments, clutch trends and the Lakers’ immediate outlook

Los Angeles coach JJ Redick reflected on the sting of the loss, saying, "Our losses are louder than other teams’ because we’re the Lakers and because of the way we lose, " and later noting of the final shot, "There was no one to rotate, essentially. " The defeat was the second straight for the Lakers decided in the final second and the club’s third consecutive loss for the third time this season. The team had been blown out by the Boston Celtics on Sunday and dropped a one-point home game to the Orlando Magic on Tuesday, when Doncic passed up a three and threw the ball to James for a hurried, last-second attempt that missed. After Thursday’s game, Reaves described the squad’s level of frustration as "Very high. "

Doncic emphasized Phoenix’s volume from deep: "They shot 50 threes, you know? So, obviously they made a lot, " and added that stretches of the game featured less physical defense, allowing the Suns to move and score. What makes this notable is how bench contributors for Phoenix compensated for the absences of their top scorers, while Los Angeles’ late defensive lapse directly produced the loss. The Lakers travel to Golden State on Saturday night.

One line in the available material references "the two-time national college coach of the year and 2019 NCAA champion" saying that "to help the Lakers in any way I can is exciting, " but it is unclear in the provided context who that remark is attributed to.