Suns forward Jae Crowder strips the ball from Lakers forward LeBron James during the first half Sunday night in Phoenix. (Rick Scuteri / Associated Press)
So the Suns are supposed to fear this team?
That’s been the prevailing logic, the reason to keep trudging through the final month of the NBA schedule with a team that’s this flawed. The Lakers last year, remember, had a 2-1 lead in their first-round playoff series before Anthony Davis got injured.
And before the game Sunday night, the Lakers received news that should have enhanced their beliefs. Davis, their star big man who has been out injured since right before the All-Star break, will begin on-court activities Monday, putting him on track for a pre-postseason return.
But the line between hope and delusion is thin and the first quarter Sunday night made it clear what side the Lakers’ postseason beliefs land on.
The Suns scored 48 points in the first quarter, a reminder of which team is at the top of the league standings and…