The idea, JJ Redick said before the game, is for the Lakers to return to the plan he put in place when he became coach. This plan of thinking long-term and prioritizing process over results helped the team win 10 of its first 14 games.

“We are all competitive. I am competitive. We have to take care of the process, do things right and build that consistency,” he said Tuesday evening. “I believe if our group does that we will get good results and results we can live with.”

But after two days of demonstrating a desire for physical exertion, and two days after being badly beaten by a rival in a third quarter in which, in their own coach’s assessment, the Lakers “stopped playing,” the Lakers were Again not noticeable on defense at the end.

Against a strong team in Phoenix, against whom they compete both in the West and in their NBA Cup group, the Lakers were outclassed again in the second half and lost 127-100 to the Suns at the Footprint Center.

They have lost three games in a row.

Anthony Davis led the Lakers with 25 points and 15 rebounds, while LeBron James had 18 points and 10 assists despite having five turnovers. D’Angelo Russell scored 16 points off the bench, his first game in double figures since Nov. 15.

The Lakers play their final group game in the NBA Cup on Friday at home against Oklahoma City and, due to point differences in the tiebreaker, need a win (and likely a Suns loss to the San Antonio Spurs) to have a chance at the knockout round. round to have.

“While you’re competing, it’s almost impossible to think about the bigger picture when you’re getting your ass kicked,” guard Austin Reaves said. “But when it’s all over, you sit down, think about it and right now we’re 10-7. I think we are still in a good position. …But right now it sucks because who even wants to think about the bigger picture right now? You’re thinking about winning a game.”

Just like in their previous loss to Denver, the Lakers were run off the floor, their body language as terrible as their performance. After Denver outscored them 37-15 in the third quarter on Saturday, the Lakers lost the third quarter 36-18 to the Suns and their spirit appeared broken again, even as Redick said his team continued to compete.

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“Our boys kept playing. “Our boys kept playing,” he repeated. “It was a hard night.”

Perhaps Redick saw more than the score suggested, as the Lakers’ offense and defense took turns putting each other at a disadvantage. In the third period, the Lakers only scored six of 21 from the field, including two of eleven from three-point range. The Suns jumped 60.9% in the quarter.

“Again, we just didn’t score in the third quarter,” Davis said. “And our defensive communication was lax.” And they were able to get some open throws and open dunks and shots at the rim. And then, now we have guys in transition and they’re sprinting to their shooters for threes. I think our competitive spirit is there every night. I don’t think anyone comes forward and says, “We don’t want to compete.” But I think it can look or feel that way if we just don’t agree because we don’t talk. So we just have to get better at that part.”

The fight the Lakers lacked in the second half came early, even after Kevin Durant, returning from a more than two-week injury layoff, opened the game with a three-pointer. But the focus wasn’t there often enough or long enough.

They botched a coverage at the end of the first quarter, giving Phoenix an open three-pointer. At the end of the third period, they gave up an uncontested layup.

Read more: New season, same result: Lakers lose to Nuggets after defeat in the third quarter

“Maybe we just need to look at some things defensively, especially against really good offensive teams, as far as our general strategies,” Redick said afterward. “They kind of got what they wanted.”

The Lakers are giving up 118.2 points per 100 possessions, the fourth most in the league.

“We’re at the bottom,” Davis said. “I don’t say, ‘Oh man, top five, top three.’ We should be able to get into the middle of the field and that can change a lot for us. So we’re just going to take it one game at a time and try to have some pride in ourselves defensively.”

The litany of defensive problems — transition problems, keeping teams away from the glass, playing with force at the rim — created toothlessness at the rim as the Suns routinely went to the basket while the Lakers stood and watched.

The game only got worse from there as Redick took the lead midway through the fourth period. And in a final blow, center Jaxson Hayes, back in the lineup after a two-week absence with an ankle injury, appeared to make the situation worse before limping toward the locker room.

The Lakers have a quick turnaround and play the Spurs on Wednesday in San Antonio.

“Of course you get frustrated sometimes, but you never get frustrated with the process,” James said. “That’s it. And just keep working.”

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This story originally appeared in the Los Angeles Times.