LeBron James scores 28 as Lakers clinch home-court in 1st round

Short-handed Lakers defeat Suns 101-73 to secure playoff advantage

Apr. 11, 2026 at 5:21am

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A fragmented, multi-angled painting depicting a basketball game, with sharp geometric shapes in purple, gold, orange, and blue overlapping to create a dynamic, abstract composition.A cubist interpretation of the Lakers' decisive victory over the Suns, capturing the dynamic energy of the game through fragmented geometric shapes and bold colors.Los Angeles Today

LeBron James had 28 points, 12 assists and 6 rebounds to lead the Los Angeles Lakers to a 101-73 victory over the Phoenix Suns on Friday night. The win clinched home-court advantage for the Lakers in the first round of the playoffs, despite the team being short-handed with injuries to stars Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves.

Why it matters

The Lakers' victory over the Suns secures a top-4 seed in the Western Conference playoffs for Los Angeles, giving them home-court advantage in the first round. This is a significant boost for the Lakers, who have dealt with numerous injuries this season but are rounding into form at the right time.

The details

LeBron James led the way for the Lakers, scoring 28 points and dishing out 12 assists. Luke Kennard added 19 points, and Rui Hachimura chipped in 13. The Lakers jumped out to an early 16-point lead and never looked back, holding the Suns to just 73 points - their lowest scoring output of the season. Devin Booker sat out for Phoenix to rest his injured ankle, while Jalen Green also missed the game with knee soreness.

  • The Lakers clinched home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs on Friday, April 11, 2026.
  • LeBron James recorded the 12,000th assist of his career in the first half of the game.

The players

LeBron James

A 41-year-old NBA superstar and 4-time champion who led the Lakers to victory with 28 points, 12 assists and 6 rebounds.

Luke Kennard

A Lakers guard who scored 19 points off the bench to support LeBron James.

Rui Hachimura

A Lakers forward who contributed 13 points in the win over the Suns.

Devin Booker

The Suns' star guard who sat out the game to rest his injured ankle ahead of the playoffs.

Jalen Green

The Suns' young guard who missed the game with right knee soreness.

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What’s next

The Lakers will host the Utah Jazz in their final regular season game on Sunday, April 13, 2026. The Suns will travel to face the Oklahoma City Thunder, also on Sunday.

The takeaway

Despite dealing with a rash of injuries this season, the Lakers have secured home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs thanks to a dominant performance led by the ageless LeBron James. This gives the Lakers a significant boost as they look to make a deep postseason run.