The G League Lakers were able to come through in crunch time on Wednesday to inch past the Clippers in their first game of the playoffs.

Expert recap and game analysis of the Detroit Pistons vs. Los Angeles Lakers NBA game from March 23, 2026 on ESPN.

On Wednesday, the South Bay Lakers got an easy 113-99 win over the Valley Suns. On Thursday, the two teams faced off again at Mullett Arena in Tempe, Ariz., as the Lakers wrapped up a four-game road trip.

The G League Lakers suffered a heartbreaking loss to the Kings on Tuesday.

Royce ONeale hit a 3PT FG with 00.9 left on the clock to put the Suns up 113-110 and the Lakers missed a shot as time expired. ONeale scored the last 7 points for the Suns to lead them to the victory at the end. Phoenix moves to 34-26 as the Lakers fall to 34-24.

Nick Smith Jr. scored 20 points off the bench and added five rebounds and seven assists. Rookie forward Adou Thiero played 16 minutes and contributed eight points, three rebounds, one assist, two steals and one block, while Bronny James shot 5-of-11 from the field and logged 12 points, one rebound, one assist and two steals.

Rookie forward Adou Thiero had a sensational performance as the G League Lakers continued their winning streak.