The visiting Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Phoenix Suns 123-115 at the Talking Stick Resort Arena on Tuesday to remain No. 1 in the Western Conference. Rajon Rondo returned from the injury to play 14 minutes in which he dropped five points, six rebounds and seven assists for the purple and gold. Kyle Kuzma, who's recently received a lot of criticism buried two 3-pointers for the Lakers in the last two minutes.

The Suns had very good chance of pocketing this win at home. The whole team sank 16 shots from the 3-point line at a rate of 42.11 percent. Three of their starting lineup, Ricky Rubio, Aron Baynes and Dario Saric together were 11/18 from downtown. Pick and pops are also one of the most efficient weapons for the Australian center.

Devin Booker, one of the best scorers of the young generation, played a very unorthodox game for Phoenix. He delivered nine assists, only one fewer than Rubio, and only took two attempts from the 3-point line – and missed both. As a scorer who could bury 2.8 3-pointers at a rate of 53.2 percent, Booker chose to drive towards the rim in most of his screen plays. Moreover, he did not seek one-on-one attacking opportunities against LA's big men, which would have been a very effective offensive solution.

The Lakers maximized their advantage in size. Their three big men – Anthony Davis, JaVale McGee, Dwight Howard – and LeBron James in total claimed 50 points in the paint, more than that of the Suns as a team. Meanwhile, Rondo's return brought the second qualified orchestrator to the team, revitalizing their bench squad which beat the Suns in bench points 47-34.

As one of the major contributors to Tuesday's win, Kuzma was improving his game with better finishing, especially around the free throw line. The two 3-pointers he made at the end of the game sealed the victory for the team. However, his defense was still less than reliable. There is a very good chance for the Lakers to put Kuzma in their fame-deciding squad but so far, he could neither mark perimeter players from outside or protect the basket from the interior.

Trae Young makes another youth offensive record

The Atlanta Hawks claimed a 125-121 win over the Denver Nuggets at the Pepsi Center. Trae Young delivered another astonishing performance with 42 points, 12 assists and eight 3-pointers. He also became the first player in NBA history to record 30+points and 10+assists in three straight games under the age of 22.

"It was just the Trae Young show for 48 minutes," said Mike Malone, head coach of the Nuggets after the loss.

"It felt better because we won. I'm glad I was able to knock some shots down and help us win. I'm having a lot of fun. My shots are going in right now. Hopefully that continues to happen. I'm just trying to do whatever it takes to help my team win," said Young after the game.

Fearless young men, Coby White

The other young player who impressed the league on Tuesday was the first-year point guard Coby White. He buried seven 3-pointers in the fourth quarter of the game to get 23 points, helping the Chicago Bulls beat the New York Knicks 120-102 at the United Center.

According to ESPN, White made more threes than any other rookie in one quarter in NBA history. Home fans chanted "Coby! Coby!" for their 19-year-old hero. In 2007 summer, the Bulls had a chance of landing Kobe Bryant via trade but failed. Now they have their own Coby to cheer for.

Roy Williams, White's head coach at North Carolina college was also watching the game at the United Center. After such a fantastic night, White hugged Williams: "He just told me go to out there and be Coby. That's all I've got to do. If possible, can you come to more games? I haven't shot like that in a long time."

Other games on Tuesday included (home teams in bold):

Oklahoma City Thunder 88-111 Indiana Pacers

Cleveland Cavaliers 97-98 Philadelphia 76ers

Detroit Pistons 108-117 Miami Heat

Brooklyn Nets 114-119 Utah Jazz

Portland Trail Blazers 99-107 Sacramento Kings