Anthony Davis erupts, Lakers tie series with Suns

May 26 (UPI) -- Anthony Davis poured in 34 points with 10 rebounds, seven assists and three blocks to lead the Los Angeles Lakers to a victory of the Phoenix Suns in Game 2 of their Western Conference playoff series.

Dennis Schroder and LeBron James chipped in 24 and 23 points, respectively, in the 109-102 win Tuesday at Phoenix Suns Arena in Phoenix. The Lakers led by as many as 15 points in the victory. The Suns lost despite outscoring the Lakers off the bench and on fastbreak points.

"We stayed poised and stayed comfortable," Davis told reporters. "We didn't overreact to a team playing at home. We made sure we executed and got stops when it mattered."

The win helped the reigning champions tie the first-round series at 1-1. Suns star Devin Booker scored 31 points in the loss.

"I wanted to get him the ball early, often and always," James told reporters when asked about Davis' involvement in the offense. "He is not a guy who talks about it, he is about it. He wants to go out and do it."

James jumpstarted the Lakers with 10 points in the first quarter, which led to a 30-24 advantage. Schroder chipped in 14 points in the second quarter and the Lakers led 53-47 at halftime.

The Lakers held onto the lead for most of the second half, but the Suns fought back for a brief advantage midway through the fourth quarter. Davis scored 24 points in the second half, including 14 in the fourth quarter, to help hold off the rally.

Veteran center Andre Drummond totaled 15 points and 12 rebounds for the Lakers. Deandre Ayton poured in 22 points with 10 rebounds for the Suns. Cameron Payne scored 19 points off the Suns bench.

"This is a team with the second-best record in the NBA," Lakers coach Frank Vogel told reporters. "There isn't going to be a situation where it's easy to knock them out in any game. Our guys came out strong and were able to hold on."

The Lakers host the Suns in Game 3 at 10 p.m. EDT Thursday at Staples Center in Los Angeles.