Stars of tomorrow do little to help today

The Lakers’ future looked much like their present situation -- dire and doubtful, at least for one day.

Jordan Farmar and Andrew Bynum were each scoreless in Game 4, combining for four missed shots in 26 minutes Sunday as the Lakers fell to a 3-1 series deficit against Phoenix.

Farmar, 20, started his sixth consecutive game but did not return after being pulled in favor of Smush Parker with 7:40 left in the third quarter. Bynum, 19, played the last three minutes of the third quarter and also sat out the fourth quarter.

It wasn’t a fun time for the Lakers, much less their youth movement.

“Jordan didn’t have a good day,” Coach Phil Jackson said.

Shammond Williams and Parker again played a lot in the fourth quarter for the Lakers, with Williams logging a full 12 minutes and Parker playing the final 8:33 of the quarter. They each had seven points in the quarter.

For the series, Farmar is averaging 5.3 points and 1.5 assists in 22 minutes a game; Bynum is averaging 4.5 points and 5.3 rebounds in 13 minutes a game.

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Checkmate?

The Suns moved ahead of the Lakers in the game-by-game chess battle, adjusting to the Lakers’ defensive scheme and scoring 113 points.

The Lakers befuddled the Suns in Game 3 Thursday by trapping their ballhandlers after pick-and-roll situations, but the Suns were ready for it in Game 4.

“They caught us on our heels a little bit, but we had some time to look it over and go back to the drawing board,” Suns guard Raja Bell said. “We were able to have a little bit more success against it [Sunday].”

Steve Nash had 23 assists and only three turnovers. He had five turnovers in Game 3.

“I’m sure that’s not the first time in 15 years he’s been trapped,” Suns Coach Mike D’Antoni said. “It usually doesn’t work; it just did the other night.”

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Thanks to Nash, the Suns crushed the Lakers in the assists category, 34-21.

“We had 34 assists in 41 baskets, and that’s because of our spacing,” D’Antoni said. “That’s what we do. We’ve done it all year.”

Nash was one assist short of the NBA playoff record. Magic Johnson had 24 against Phoenix on May 15, 1984, and John Stockton had 24 against the Lakers on May 17, 1988.

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Forward Vladimir Radmanovic did not suit up for Game 4 and has been on the inactive list since Game 1.

mike.bresnahan@latimes.com