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The Phoenix Suns faced a stiff test heading into the weekend with back-to-back games against two of the NBA's most talented teams.
Friday night, the Suns (4-7) lost a 114-102 battle against the 5-5 Los Angeles Lakers. Goran Dragic scored 22 points, center Luis Scola added 18 points, and forward Michael Beasley 14 points with a career-high nine assists in the loss. Kobe Bryant led the way for the Lakers with 31 points, and forward Metta World Peace sank five three-pointers en route to 22 points.
The Suns rushed home to host the 8-3 Miami Heat on Saturday at US Airways Arena, and couldn't handle defending champions, losing 97-88. The Heat, who were playing without injured guard Dwyane Wade, were led by 24 points from Chris Bosh and 21 points from LeBron James, who played despite having flu-like symptoms. Dragic scored 12 points and added five rebounds and eight assists in the Suns fourth loss in five games.
Phoenix will play host to the Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday night at US Airways Arena. Tipoff is slated for 7 p.m. MT and the game will be televised on Fox Sports Arizona.