The Lakers’ seven-game winning streak was shattered in a loss to the Phoenix Suns

Luka Doncic sat down at the table for the postgame press conference and turned the score over in disgust.

There was nothing the Lakers superstar wanted to see there.

The Lakers’ seven-game winning streak came to an abrupt end with a 125-108 loss to the Phoenix Suns on Monday at Crypto.com Arena.

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While Doncic continued his scoring spree with 38 points and 11 rebounds, the loss exposed the Lakers’ biggest problems. Doncic turned the ball over nine times as the Lakers (15-5) totaled 22 turnovers that led to 32 points for the Suns (13-9). Their middle-of-the-road defense had no answer to Phoenix’s dizzying offense that shot 57 percent from the field. LeBron James, absent Sunday to manage a left foot injury early in the Lakers’ home game, took a back seat for much of the night.

Read more: The Lakers try to fight the boredom of their seventh consecutive victory

The NBA’s all-time leading scorer didn’t exert any force on the game until the fourth quarter as his 18-year streak of games with 10 or more points appeared to be in jeopardy. Entering the fourth quarter with just six points, James hit a fadeaway step-back with 6:51 left to give him 10 points for the 1,297th consecutive game.

It was the only major second-half moment that the Lakers had let spiral out of control for a long time.

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“It’s like the Monstars take over the people you coached,” Lakers coach JJ Redick said. “And they don’t do anything they normally do. It’s weird.”

A perplexed Redick blamed possible “brain fog” caused by three games in four days. The team that, by Reddick’s estimates, had at least played hard enough to compete in 17 of 19 games was letting opponents get away in transition. The Lakers suddenly forgot basic defensive tasks like getting through blocks against Phoenix’s best three-point shooters.

Then they were torched by Collin Gillespie, who buried four 3-pointers in the fourth quarter and finished with 28 points and eight 3-pointers made. Dillon Brooks had 33 points to lead the Suns, who had no trouble scoring despite the loss of star guard Devin Booker.

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“The basketball gods reward you and also punish you,” Redick said. “And so, in the moments where we had the opportunity to be rewarded, we didn’t do what we were supposed to do and we were punished.”

Booker left the game with 2:05 remaining in the first quarter and did not return due to a right groin injury. However, the Suns dictated the pace and built a 14-point halftime lead and closed the second quarter on a 19-4 run. Brooks had 23 points in the first half.

Doncic scored 20 points in the first quarter for the second straight game, but unlike when he dominated the struggling New Orleans Pelicans, Doncic’s scoring wasn’t enough Monday. Instead of attacking Doncic with extra defenders like most teams have done, the Suns all but invited the star guard to score. Suns center Mark Williams, with his 9-foot-9 standing reach, was enough to stymie Doncic in the paint.

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Doncic, who took blame for the offensive struggles and turnovers, called the coverage “confused.”

“We didn’t play hard enough,” said guard Austin Reaves, who had 16 points and three assists on five turnovers. “You know it and you don’t let it affect you moving forward. But you remember, just what you feel[ing is]what the energy was like. And you do the opposite.”

The Suns, the league leader in steals, forced 12 Lakers turnovers in the first half, which led to 17 points for Phoenix. The Suns outscored the Lakers 16-0 in fast break points.

Lakers guard Marcus Smart missed his third straight game, leaving the Lakers without a stalwart defender and vocal leader. He had previously been sidelined due to back spasms, but the Lakers designated Monday’s absence as management of the back injury. Redick doesn’t believe the absence will be long-term as Smart underwent imaging that was “unremarkable,” Redick said, other than looking like “a normal NBA veteran with 11 years of experience,” the coach added with a smile.

The Lakers could use Smart’s tenacity as they move toward a tough three-game road trip on the East Coast starting Thursday in Toronto. They play three games in four days, including Friday in Boston and Sunday in Philadelphia. All three teams are above .500, while the Lakers are 4-4 against these teams.

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“We had our little setback and a little blow to the chin,” said center Deandre Ayton, who had 12 points and nine rebounds, “but it’s not going to get us down.”

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This story originally appeared in the Los Angeles Times.