Schedule and 2007 Results
Regular Season Records: Phoenix 61-21, L.A. Lakers 42-40
Game 1 on Sunday, 22 April: L.A. Lakers lose at Phoenix, 95-pts-87
Game 2 on Tuesday, 24 April: L.A. Lakers lose at Phoenix, 126-pts-98
Game 3 on Thursday, 26 April: Phoenix loses at L.A. Lakers, 95-pts-89
Game 4 on Sunday, 29 April: Phoenix wins at L.A. Lakers, 113-pts-100
Game 5 on Wednesday, 2 May: L.A. Lakers lose at Phoenix, 119-pts-110

SERIES NOTES:

After Game 5: The Phoenix Suns hosted and defeated the Los Angeles Lakers 119-pts-110, thereby securing a 4-games-1 best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 1010 win and ousting the Lakers from the NBA playoffs for the second consecutive season. The series 1010 win improves the Phoenix best-of-7 NBA playoff series record to 13-17 overall and 3-1 in the Preliminary round. The series 1010 loss drops the Los Angeles Lakers best-of-7 NBA playoff series record to 55-27 overall and 2-2 in the Preliminary round. The victorious Phoenix Suns posted a win order of WWLWW in series 1010: Series 1010 thus becomes the ninth NBA Preliminary-round series, the 40th NBA series (all rounds), and the 84th MLB/NBA/NHL series (all rounds) to follow such a win order. The Phoenix Suns have now defeated the Los Angeles Lakers in three best-of-7 NBA playoff series; the Lakers own six such series victories over Phoenix.

After Game 4: The Phoenix Suns visited and defeated the Los Angeles Lakers 113-pts-100 to take a 3-games-1 lead in best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 1010. When leading a best-of-7 NBA playoff series 3-games-1, the Phoenix Suns have a series record of 5-2 and a Game 5 record of 3-4. When trailing a best-of-7 NBA playoff series 3-games-1, the Los Angeles Lakers have a series record of 1-13 with an active ten-series losing streak, and a Game 5 record of 4-10. In the history of best-of-7 NBA playoff series from 1947 through 2006, teams leading 3-games-1 @ HHVV (such as Phoenix in series 1010) have a series record of 103-1. The sole loser? The Phoenix Suns, in series 691 to the Houston Rockets in the 1995 NBA Quarterfinals.

After Game 3: With best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 1010 in Los Angeles for Games 3-4, the host Lakers surmounted a 14-point deficit after the first quarter to defeat the Phoenix Suns, 95-pts-89. Phoenix now holds a 2-games-1 series 1010 lead. When leading a best-of-7 NBA playoff series 2-games-1, the Phoenix Suns have a 9-3 series record and a 7-5 Game 4 record. When trailing a best-of-7 NBA playoff series 2-games-1, the Los Angeles Lakers have a 6-16 series record and an 8-14 Game 4 record. The Lakers trailed Game 3 by fourteen points after the first quarter: In the history of best-of-7 format NBA playoff games from 1947 through 2006, teams trailing by 14 after one quarter had a game record of only 3-34 (.081).

After Game 2: With the largest display of offense to date in the 2007 NBA playoffs, the Phoenix Suns hosted and bested the Los Angeles Lakers 126-pts-98 to take a 2-games-nil lead in best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 1010. When leading a best-of-7 NBA playoff series 2-games-nil, the Phoenix Suns have a 2-2 series record and a 1-3 Game 3 record. When trailing a best-of-7 NBA playoff series 2-games-nil, the Los Angeles Lakers have a 2-13 series record and a 10-5 Game 3 record. The 28-point margin of victory by Phoenix over the Lakers is the largest in an NBA playoff game since series 977 Game 7, in which Phoenix hosted and defeated the Lakers 121-pts-90 (31 points) to oust Los Angeles from the 2006 NBA playoffs.

After Game 1: The Phoenix Suns hosted and defeated the Los Angeles Lakers 95-pts-87 to take a 1-game-nil lead in best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 1010. When leading a best-of-7 NBA playoff series 1-game-nil, the Phoenix Suns have a series record of 9-5 and a Game 2 record of 4-10 (with an active four-Game 2 losing streak). When trailing a best-of-7 NBA playoff series 1-game-nil, the Los Angeles Lakers have a series record of 9-19 and a Game 2 record of 13-15. Phoenix trailed Game 1 by nine points at halftime. In the history of best-of-7 format NBA playoff games from 1947 through 2006, teams trailing by nine points at halftime had a game record of only 20-83 (.194). Series 1010 Game 1 is the 2000th best-of-7 format NBA playoff game to be completed.

Pre-series assessment: In the 2006-07 NBA regular season, Phoenix finished 19 games ahead of Los Angeles. From 1947 through the 2006 NBA Finals, when NBA teams led their best-of-7 playoff series opponents by 19 regular-season games, they have posted a 5-0 (1.000) best-of-7 series record in those series against those opponents. Best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 1010 is the 82nd best-of-7 NBA playoff series for Los Angeles, and the 30th for Phoenix. In best-of-7 NBA playoff series, Los Angeles has a 55-26 series record, a 2-1 Prelim-round series record, and a 53-28 Game 1 record, while Phoenix has a 12-17 series record, a 2-1 Prelim-round record, and a 14-15 Game 1 record. Series 1010 is the ninth best-of-7 NBA playoff series meeting between Los Angeles and Phoenix; of the previous eight, Los Angeles has won six series and Phoenix two.