How did Royce O'Neale's 3 beat the Lakers?
A late-game dagger after a Suns comeback
Phoenix completed a dramatic turnaround to edge Los Angeles on a buzzer-beating three by Royce O’Neale. The Suns erased a second-half deficit and, with the game in the balance in the final seconds, O’Neale knocked down a contested long-range try that proved to be the difference in a 113-110 final.
Phoenix had trailed by as many as 13 points in the second half, and the sequence of stops and timely scoring set up a frantic finish. The Lakers, who had struggled to close out games recently, could not prevent a late Phoenix surge. The shot came with under two seconds remaining, leaving little time for a response and capping a comeback that flipped momentum in the Suns’ favor.
Why this moment matters
- Confidence swing: late, clutch baskets change how teammates and coaches view a role player’s reliability in pressure moments.
- Standings impact: one possession can influence playoff positioning in a tight Western Conference race; a win like this matters beyond a single night.
- Narrative for both teams: Phoenix demonstrated resilience by erasing a double-digit deficit; Los Angeles will be asked questions about late-game execution and whether recent form is trending downward.
Postgame reaction focused on the sequence leading to the final shot — how Phoenix’s defense created a stop, how they executed the possession, and how O’Neale, often a secondary scorer, delivered in a high-leverage situation. For the Suns, it was a momentum-grabbing victory. For the Lakers, it highlighted late-game flaws that will require attention.