The Los Angeles Lakers took on the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday evening and the game looked very much like it could be a classic matchup between the two rivals. Los Angeles kept things close all night but once the second half started, the Suns completely took control of the contest.

The final score was 127-100 as Phoenix blitzed the Lakers in the second half of the game. Los Angeles had no answer for what the Suns were doing on the offensive end of the floor.

It was the first-ever loss for the Lakers in the NBA Cup, dating back to the inaugural season last year. Los Angeles looked overmatched and came out on the wrong end of the score.

With the loss, the Lakers dropped down to a record of 10-7 and currently are on a three-game losing streak. But many fans were wondering if they would see a glimpse of rookie guard Bronny James entering the game, especially with the team being blown out in the final minutes of the contest.

However, it didn’t happen as James missed another game. The rookie guard was with the South Bay Lakers in the G League as they had a home game against the San Diego Clippers.

James didn’t suit up for that game either as he was ruled a DNP-Inactive. The rookie has been dealing with a nagging injury that has caused him to miss multiple games.

He has been shuffling between the NBA and G League as the Lakers try to build out a plan of attack for his development. Los Angeles has only been allowing him to play in home games at the G League level, a move that has been widely criticized around NBA circles.

Los Angeles believes that he can become an impactful player at the NBA level but the rookie guard has some work to do. He has shown a strong sense of awareness on the defensive end of the floor but his offense is a massive work in progress.

The team is giving him every opportunity to grow his game to where it needs to be so it will be up to him to take advantage. The Lakers will be patient with the rookie but they likely can only wait so long before they will have to make a tough decision on his future.

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