The Los Angeles Lakers play host to the Phoenix Sun at Crypto.com Arena on Wednesday.

The Suns (38-33) come into this matchup losing four of their last five games. That poor stretch directly correlates with the Kevin Durant injury, and it's clear just how much this team is missing Mikal Bridges. It would have been fine if KD were healthy, but losing Bridges and Cameron Johnson in that trade has killed this team's depth. Chris Paul and Devin Booker have done wonderfully in Durant's absence, but that's simply not enough with how deep the Western Conference is right now. Phoenix sits fourth in the west, but they're only three games up on the teams in eighth and ninth. That means this club needs to be careful because falling to the play-in would be a disaster.

The Lakers (35-37) have been trying to get above .500 ever since they started with a nightmarish 2-10 record, and this is the closest they've been in some time. The recent run has moved Los Angeles up to the 10th seed in the Western Conference, and they could be the most dangerous team in the league if they snuck into the playoffs. LeBron James hasn't even been playing in this resurgence, but there's some thought he'll be ready to go in the postseason if the Lakers can sneak in. Anthony Davis and D'Angelo Russell have been carrying the load in his absence, but the play of Auston Reaves can't be overlooked. The bench player scored a career-high 35 points on Sunday, and he's looking like one of the most improved players of the year.

This is the third meeting between these teams, with Phoenix winning the first two. They've now won six straight games over the Lakers in total.