Lakers off to 2-0 start; Bronny takes G League role

LOS ANGELES — Anthony Davis scored 35 points and LeBron James added 21 as the Los Angeles Lakers erased a 22-point deficit to beat the Phoenix Suns 123-116 for a second victory to start the NBA season on Friday.

It’s the first time since the 2010-2011 season that the Lakers have started a season 2-0. Davis, who scored 36 points in a season-opening win over Minnesota, was key again.

“I’m just trying to play the game the right way,” said Davis, who added eight rebounds, four assists, a steal and two blocked shots.

Davis said defensive adjustments were the key to turning things around against Kevin Durant and the Suns, who outscored the Lakers 38-23 in the first quarter to take control.

“They made some tough shots, but we were letting them get out in transition, we were turning the ball over early,” Davis said. “They had 14 points in transition in the first seven minutes of the game, that’s not us.”

Durant led the Suns with 30 points. Devin Booker scored 23, but after connecting on better than 61 percent of their shots in the first half, Phoenix were held to 41.9 percent shooting in the second.

Meanwhile,  Bronny James is expected to begin splitting time between the Lakers and the team’s G League affiliate, even though coach JJ Reddick said those plans could change.

ESPN reported Friday that James will be going between the two teams after the Lakers complete a five-game trip Nov. 6. The South Bay Lakers begin their G League season on Nov. 9 against the Salt Lake City Stars.

Bronny James was the 55th overall pick in the June draft after one season in college at Southern California. Most second-round picks during their rookie seasons spend time in the G League and are on two-way contracts.

In New York, Karl-Anthony Towns and Mikal Bridges looked right at home at Madison Square Garden, scoring 21 points apiece to help the Knicks to a 123-98 victory over the Indiana Pacers.

Towns, acquired in a three-team trade from Minnesota days before training camp, added 15 rebounds and two blocked shots in his first home game for his new team.