Lakers' seven-game win streak meets a Suns team under .500, with Austin Reaves in doubt

The central question Sunday is whether a banged-up but hot Lakers team can keep winning in Phoenix. Los Angeles is 11-2 and second in the Western Conference, carrying 7 straight wins overall and 4 straight on the road. Phoenix is 5-6 and 11th in the West, and it just beat Charlotte 101-96 on Thursday night. Tip is at 4:00 PM ET at Mortgage Matchup Center.

The record gap favours Los Angeles, but the Lakers' health is the main complication. Austin Reaves left Wednesday's win with a left heel injury. Initial X-rays were negative, and he has since been listed day-to-day with a heel bruise. He did not participate in Saturday's practice, which keeps his status unsettled. Collin Sexton, dealing with a head issue, was a full participant Saturday. Quentin Grimes, who has a finger injury, said he expects to return Sunday. If Reaves sits, the rotation depends on whether Sexton and Grimes are both on the floor.

Phoenix has its own minor roster question. Drew Timme, claimed off waivers Monday, is day-to-day. That matters little compared with the Lakers' backcourt picture. Mark Williams is out after shoulder surgery, but that absence has been in place since September and is already reflected in Phoenix's 5-6 start.

The recent head-to-head history is mixed and does not line up with the current standings. Phoenix won the two most recent meetings played in Phoenix, 132-108 on December 24 and 113-110 on February 27. The Lakers won there on December 15, 116-114. The most recent meeting went to Los Angeles 101-73 on April 11, at Los Angeles. Those games came in a different season, and rosters and form may have changed, so they carry limited weight.

Scoring environment is another thread. The Lakers have gone over the total in 4 straight games overall and 3 straight on the road. Three of the five previous meetings with Phoenix saw the winner score at least 113 points. Those are descriptions of what has happened, not forecasts, and without a posted number the totals streak says little on its own.

Overall, the evidence points in two directions. Record, form and the road streak all favour the Lakers. Reaves' uncertain availability, the home setting, and a series that has gone back and forth in Phoenix keep this from being one-sided. The Lakers' health report on Sunday is the most important piece of information still to come.

A seven-game streak shows strong recent form, but it is a short sample against a Phoenix team that has played 11 games. Thirteen games for the Lakers is still early-season evidence, and neither team's record yet settles how good it is.