Preview: Lakers vs. Phoenix Suns

The Lakers (0-4) will get a quick rematch against the Phoenix Suns (2-1) on Tuesday night at Staples Center.

Last Wednesday, the Suns stormed out to an early lead in the first quarter at US Airways Center in Phoenix -- and blew the game open in the third to finish off the Lakers, 119-99.

Point guard Isaiah Thomas led the Suns with 23 points off the bench, while small forward Marcus Morris chipped in 21.

The Lakers were led by Kobe Bryant, whose 31 points came on 25 shot attempts. Reserve Ed Davis contributed 14 points with nine rebounds, but no other starter hit double figures.

Defense-minded forward P.J. Tucker will be available for the Suns after sitting out his team’s first three games on a DUI suspension.

The Lakers hope to get Ryan Kelly back from a hamstring strain but will be without Nick Young (thumb), Julius Randle (broken leg) and Steve Nash (back).

Key matchup

The Suns’ three point guards are a lot to deal with. At just 6-foot-1, Eric Bledsoe shares the backcourt with 6-foot-3 Goran Dragic. Behind them, Thomas is just 5-foot-8 -- but he’s a creative scorer.

Bryant needs to take advantage of the Suns’ lack of size, although Marcus Morris, Gerald Green and Tucker will likely draw the assignment.

The Lakers need a strong performance from Jeremy Lin to offset the Suns’ potent guard core.

Lin has yet to play as well as he did through the preseason, averaging 9.0 points and 5.5 assists a game while shooting just 34.5% from the field.

X-factor

Jordan Hill has come alive the last two games with a surprisingly accurate jump shot.

Hill has hit 20 of his last 29 shots in losses to the Golden State Warriors and the Clippers, averaging 23 points with five rebounds -- and 14.8 and 7.8 through four games.

If Hill can provide a consistent mid-range threat, the Lakers could start to find some success on the floor.

Marcus Morris has greater range than Hill, bombing from three-point range against the Lakers in their most recent matchup.

The Lakers need to do a much better job guarding the corner three -- the Suns are a dangerous team from the outside.

Outlook

The Lakers looked better in their last two games than their first two.

They’ll give the Suns a greater challenge on Tuesday, but they’re going to be hard-pressed to get a win against a very potent Phoenix squad.

Email Eric Pincus at eric.pincus@gmail.com and follow him on Twitter @EricPincus