Lakers Vs Suns: O’Neale’s last-second three stuns visiting Lakers in Phoenix
In a Feb. 26, 2026 thriller, the lakers vs suns game ended when Royce O’Neale drilled a three with ninth-tenths of a second left, giving Phoenix a 113-110 victory and handing the Lakers a painful, last-second defeat.
Late collapse leaves Lakers reeling
The Lakers fell 113-110 in Phoenix after Austin Reaves’ buzzer three bounced off the rim. The loss continued a recent string of heartbreak: the Lakers have dropped their last two games in the final second and suffered three consecutive losses for the third time this season. Earlier in the week they were blown out by the Boston Celtics on Sunday and then lost by one at home to the Orlando Magic on Tuesday, when Luka Doncic passed up a three and threw the ball to LeBron James, who missed a hurried, last-second three.
Doncic’s 41-point night and the fourth-quarter rally
Luka Doncic finished with 41 points, eight rebounds and eight assists after sparking a comeback from 12 points down in the fourth quarter. He hit back-to-back threes during the rally and the Lakers, who have been an NBA-best 16-5 in clutch games, tied the score twice in the final minute — first on a three by Austin Reaves and then on a tip-in by LeBron James, who had 15 points, six rebounds and five assists with 22. 7 seconds left.
Lakers Vs Suns — O’Neale’s final shot and the play before it
Phoenix ran a decisive sequence when Grayson Allen blew past Doncic and attacked the lane. Doncic and James collided and fell, allowing Allen to pass to Collin Gillespie, who swung the ball to a wide-open Royce O’Neale. O’Neale’s shot settled cleanly through the net with ninth-tenths of a second left, handing the Suns the 113-110 win.
How the final inbound unfolded and player reactions
On the Lakers’ final possession Marcus Smart inbounded the ball. James and Maxi Kleber set a double-screen to free Reaves, who floated to the corner and took a cross-court pass; his three missed. Reaves, five-for-12 from the field and two for five from three, summed it up simply: “Just missed. ” After the game Reaves said the team’s level of frustration was “Very high. ” Coach JJ Redick acknowledged 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 adding that the team had lost a few one-possession clutch games despite generally strong clutch performance this season. Redick also noted, “There was no one to rotate, essentially, ” on the final Phoenix shot.
Suns’ shooting and injuries
Phoenix hit 22 for 50 from three-point range despite being short-handed. The Suns were without All-Star guard Devin Booker (right hip strain), Dillon Brooks (left hand fracture) and Jordan Goodwin (left calf strain). Grayson Allen finished with 28 points and six assists off the bench, and Collin Gillespie had 21 points for Phoenix, which improved to 34-26 while the Lakers fell to 34-24.
Doncic reflected on the barrage of threes: “They shot 50 threes, you know? So, obviously they made a lot, ” and added that the Suns’ ball movement and stretches where the Lakers weren’t physical allowed Phoenix to take over at times.
The written account included a note that read: "This is read by an automated voice. Please report any issues or inconsistencies here. " An individual described only as a two-time national college coach of the year and the 2019 NCAA champion said, "to help the Lakers in any way I can is exciting, " though the context did not identify that person further.
Next on the schedule: unclear in the provided context.
