Lakers 115, Suns 99: Chris Kaman scored a season-high 28 points and matched a season best with 17 rebounds as host Los Angeles soared past Phoenix.

Jodie Meeks scored 22 points and Ryan Kelly added 17 off the bench as the Lakers won for the third time in five games. Kendall Marshall contributed 13 points and 11 assists as Los Angeles put on a vastly improved defensive performance after allowing 143 points to Minnesota on Friday.

Gerald Green scored 22 points and Goran Dragic added 17 for the Suns, who had a six-game winning streak halted. Markieff Morris had 16 points and 12 rebounds and twin brother Marcus scored 15 points as Phoenix dropped into a tie for seventh place with the Dallas Mavericks in the Western Conference race, a half-game ahead of ninth-place Memphis.

The Lakers set the tone by holding Phoenix to 15 first-quarter points and forced the Suns to shoot just 38.5 percent from the field. Phoenix moved to within 11 points after three free throws by Markieff Morris with 3:43 remaining but was unable to get within single digits while suffering the untimely defeat.

Los Angeles ripped off 17 straight points in the second quarter to break the game open and held a 61-43 halftime lead. The Lakers increased the margin to 26 on two free throws by Kaman with 6:48 left in the third quarter but Phoenix closed with a 12-2 surge to pull within 89-74 entering the final stanza.

GAME NOTEBOOK: G Kent Bazemore with 12 points and SF Nick Young with 11 also scored in double digits for Los Angeles. … The Suns were just 8-of-36 from 3-point range. … Lakers C Pau Gasol (vertigo) missed his fourth consecutive game and G/F Xavier Henry (knee) sat out for the second straight contest.