THE IMPOSSIBLE UPSET: Suns Lose Devin Booker, Then Two Unlikely Heroes Emerge to End Lakers’ 7-Game Streak. The Stat Line Will Shock You.

LOS ANGELES — For a moment, it looked like the game was over before it even began. Devin Booker limped toward the tunnel early in the first quarter, clutching the back of his leg, leaving behind a stunned bench and a silent arena. The Phoenix Suns—already thin, already leaning heavily on their All-NBA scorer—were suddenly facing the hottest team in the league with nothing but uncertainty and a scoreboard trending the wrong direction.

The Los Angeles Lakers, winners of seven straight and in full control of their identity, sensed blood. The crowd rose. The momentum surged. The script felt inevitable.

And then, somehow, everything flipped.

In one of the most improbable, wild, and statistically bizarre upsets of the NBA season, the Suns—without Booker for virtually the entire game—found two heroes no one expected and stole a 118–112 victory that snapped the Lakers’ red-hot winning streak and sent shockwaves through the Western Conference.

This wasn’t a fluke. This wasn’t luck.
This was an eruption from the most unlikely duo imaginable.

The Moment Booker Went Down

The Suns entered the night needing every ounce of offense Booker provides. When he exited with what the team later called “left hamstring tightness,” the arena buzzed with one question:

Where would the points come from?

Phoenix trailed by nine within minutes. Their ball movement sputtered. Their spacing collapsed. The Lakers’ defense—already one of the league’s best—tightened around Kevin Durant, forcing him into tough, contested jumpers.

But the Suns’ sideline didn’t panic. The rotations tightened. The pace changed. And that’s when the unexpected began.

Hero No. 1: The Bench Guard No One Game-Planned For

Enter Jordan Goodwin, the reserve guard who has spent the season shuffling between spot minutes and coach’s-decision DNPs. The Lakers didn’t even tag him with a primary defender when he checked in.

Mistake.

Goodwin erupted for a career-high 24 points on 10-of-13 shooting, including four momentum-killing threes that ignited the Suns’ bench and stunned the Lakers’ defense. His fearlessness attacking the rim shifted the team’s entire rhythm.

He wasn’t just good—he was the spark plug that kept Phoenix afloat.

And his stat line?
The best true-shooting night of his NBA career.

Hero No. 2: The Undersized Forward Who Out-Worked Everyone

With Booker out and Durant drawing double-teams, Phoenix needed rebounding, toughness, and someone willing to do the dirty work the Lakers usually dominate.

That someone was Keita Bates-Diop, who delivered the most impactful game of his Phoenix tenure.

His line—18 points, 14 rebounds, 5 blocks—looks like something out of a video game, especially for a player who averages fewer than six points per game. He completely shifted the rebounding battle, out-hustled the Lakers’ bigs, and secured multiple offensive boards in the fourth quarter that flipped potential L.A. runs into Phoenix scoring chances.

The Lakers never adjusted.
The Suns kept feeding him.
And Bates-Diop rewarded them with the best two-way game of his NBA career.

Durant’s Quiet Masterpiece

While the two unexpected heroes carried the shock factor, Kevin Durant provided the quiet backbone that made the upset possible. His 29 points, 9 assists, and 7 rebounds came with surgical efficiency and complete composure.

He didn’t force offense. He directed it.
He didn’t chase heroics. He created them for others.

The Lakers threw length, double-teams, and traps at him all night, but Durant’s decision-making against pressure may have been the most underrated element of the victory.

Inside the Collapse of the Lakers’ Streak

The Lakers weren’t bad—they were overwhelmed.

For seven games, they relied on suffocating defense, pace control, and elite shot-creation from Anthony Davis and LeBron James. But tonight:

• Their bench was outscored 41–19.
• They shot just 4-of-18 from deep in the second half.
• They surrendered 17 offensive rebounds.
• Their transition defense collapsed.
• And Davis was held scoreless for the final 6:04.

The Suns turned a half-court grind into a track meet—and the Lakers never found the brakes.

The Stat Line That Shocked Everyone

What makes this upset so stunning isn’t just that Phoenix won without Booker.
It’s who beat the Lakers.

Jordan Goodwin + Keita Bates-Diop combined for:

42 points
22 rebounds
7 blocks
5 threes
70% shooting

Those two players alone outscored the Lakers’ entire bench.

The probability of that stat line, according to ESPN’s win-system metrics, was under 1.3% heading into the game.

In other words:
This wasn’t an upset.
This was a statistical anomaly.

Why This Win Matters More Than Most

Phoenix entered the night fighting for playoff positioning and trying to build consistency around Durant and Booker. Losing Booker could have easily snowballed into a slide.

Instead, the Suns got something different—something far more valuable:

Belief.
Belief in their depth.
Belief in their defensive identity.
Belief in their resilience.
Belief that they can steal games even when their stars aren’t available.

That type of win doesn’t just show up in the standings.
It shows up in the postseason.

What’s Next? Trepidation and Opportunity

The Suns will evaluate Booker’s injury over the next 24 hours, with early optimism that the exit was precautionary. Phoenix has played this game before—protect the star now to keep him available later.

If Booker misses extended time, tonight’s win becomes even more important.
If he returns soon, Phoenix just discovered a bench combination that could shift their entire second unit.

And for the Lakers?
A streak ended, but the real concern is execution. Losing to a team without its star exposed holes they haven’t addressed—especially in rebounding and perimeter defense.

The Night That Shouldn’t Have Happened… Happened

The Suns lost their best scorer.
The Lakers had momentum, health, and a roaring home crowd.
The win probability chart laughed at Phoenix’s chances.

And yet, in a building that rarely rewards underdogs, the Suns found two unexpected heroes who delivered the impossible.

Maybe the Lakers overlooked them.
Maybe the Suns overachieved.
Or maybe the NBA—yet again—proved its favorite truth:

On any given night, anyone can become the story.