The Feb. 26 meeting between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Phoenix Suns serves as a pivotal late-season matchup between two Pacific Division rivals currently battling for superior positioning in the Western Conference playoff race.
Entering the game, the Los Angeles Lakers have a record of 34-23, which puts them 6th in the conference, while the Phoenix Suns follow closely in 7th place with a record of 33-26. This game marks the fourth and final meeting between the two teams this season, with the Suns having won two of the previous three meetings. However, the momentum has changed significantly since their last meeting in December, as the Lakers have been buoyed by a historic scoring season from their key playmaker, while the Suns have recently struggled with depth issues following a series of major midseason roster moves and a local injury crisis.
The 2025-26 Los Angeles Lakers are a franchise in the midst of a fascinating period of transition, led by the unconventional yet powerful duo of 41-year-old LeBron James and the league’s leading scorer, Luka Doncic. The team is currently coached by JJ Redick and has maintained a competitive position in the Western Conference despite lingering questions about their defensive consistency and frontcourt depth. The Lakers’ statistical profile is dominated by Doncic, who is averaging 32.5 points, 7.8 rebounds and 8.6 assists per game. His ability to manipulate defensive rotations has made the Lakers one of the most efficient field goal teams in the league, currently ranking first in field goal percentage (49.8). However, this offensive prowess is often undermined by their performance on the glass, where they rank 28th in rebounds per game (40.9).
The Phoenix Suns enter this matchup as a team defined by resilience and recent volatility, having recently added Jalen Green and Dillon Brooks to bolster their perimeter defense. Under head coach Jordan Ott, the team has developed a solid defensive identity, allowing just 111.4 points per game, which ranks 5th in the NBA. This defensive success is largely based on their ability to force turnovers and control the perimeter, although their offensive efficiency has dropped to 27th in the league with 45.3 field goals. The main challenge facing the Suns on February 26 is a huge void in their scoring hierarchy; their leading scorer and franchise cornerstone, Devin Booker, has been ruled out with a hip injury, and defensive catalyst Dillon Brooks is also sidelined with a hand injury.
Competition | NBA regular season |
Teams | Los Angeles Lakers (away) vs. Phoenix Suns (home) |
Date and time | Thursday, February 26, 2026, at 9:00 PM ET |
Where | Mortgage Matchup Center (Phoenix, Arizona) |
How to watch Los Angeles Lakers vs. Phoenix Suns internationally
Fans looking to catch the action live have a variety of options depending on their geographic location and service preferences, with the 9:00 PM ET tip-off at the center of a dense broadcast web. On a national level, this contest is a key part of the NBA’s new media rights landscape, which officially broke away from its long-standing partnership with Turner Sports at the start of the 2025-2026 season.
For domestic viewers in the United States, the game will be accessible via Peacock, the main streaming arm of NBC Sports, which is currently in the first year of a massive 11-year broadcast deal. Locally, the game will remain available to fans within the teams’ respective territories through established regional partnerships; in the Los Angeles market, Spectrum SportsNet (SportsNet LA) continues to provide extensive coverage, while fans in the Phoenix area can tune in via Arizona’s Family (KTVK and KPHE), which serves as the local wireless home for the Suns, or utilize the Suns+ team-specific streaming platform.
How to watch Los Angeles Lakers vs. can watch Phoenix Suns International and outside the market
If you’re outside the US, the NBA game between Los Angeles Lakers and Phoenix Suns should be available to livestream with a NBA League Pass.
Please note that livestream rights vary by country and are subject to local broadcast agreements. NBA games that are not shown live on NBA League Pass are usually made available on demand later.
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How to watch anywhere with VPN
If you’re abroad, you may need to use a virtual private network (VPN) to watch games via your usual streaming service. A VPN, like ExpressVPNyou can establish a secure online connection while streaming.
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