NoneSEATTLE , Nov. 26, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Nordstrom, Inc. (NYSE: JWN) today reported third quarter net earnings of $46 million , or earnings per diluted share ("EPS") of $0.27 , and earnings before interest and taxes ("EBIT") of $83 million . Excluding a charge related to accelerated technology depreciation, the Company reported adjusted EBIT of $97 million and adjusted EPS of $0.33 .[1] For the third quarter ended November 2, 2024, net sales increased 4.6 percent versus the same period in fiscal 2023, and total Company comparable sales increased 4.0 percent. Gross merchandise value ("GMV") increased 5.3 percent. Anniversary Sale timing, with one week shifting from the third quarter to the second quarter, had a negative impact of approximately 100 basis points on net sales compared with 2023. During the quarter, Nordstrom banner net sales increased 1.3 percent and comparable sales increased 4.0 percent. Net sales for Nordstrom Rack increased 10.6 percent and comparable sales increased 3.9 percent. "The continued sales growth across the company and strong gross margin in the third quarter indicate our team's focus and efforts are working," said Erik Nordstrom , chief executive officer of Nordstrom, Inc. "Our customers have a lot of choices, and our results give us encouragement that we're on the right path. Looking ahead, we'll continue to improve our shopping experience as we strive to maintain the positive momentum we've worked towards all year." In the third quarter, women's apparel and active had double-digit growth, and shoes, men's apparel and kids were up mid to high single-digits, versus 2023. Growth in women's apparel, shoes and men's apparel accelerated sequentially from the second quarter. "Our third quarter results demonstrate that our strategic focus on curating a compelling brand assortment is resonating with customers," said Pete Nordstrom , president of Nordstrom, Inc. "Our actions throughout this year have led to this moment, and we feel well-positioned for a successful holiday season and look forward to helping our customers celebrate the moments that matter. I'm grateful to our dedicated team for consistently delivering the high level of service our customers have come to expect from Nordstrom." As previously announced, the board of directors declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.19 per share, payable on December 18, 2024, to shareholders of record at the close of business on December 3, 2024. THIRD QUARTER 2024 SUMMARY STORES UPDATE To date in fiscal 2024, the Company has opened 23 stores: City Location Square Footage (000s) Timing of Opening Nordstrom Rack Pinole, CA Pinole Vista Crossing 23 March 7, 2024 Snellville, GA Presidential Markets 35 March 7, 2024 Kennesaw, GA Barrett Place 25 March 21, 2024 Macedonia, OH Macedonia Gateway 28 April 11, 2024 Gilroy, CA Gilroy Crossing 25 April 25, 2024 Jacksonville Beach, FL South Beach Regional 30 May 2, 2024 Queen Creek, AZ Queen Creek Marketplace 28 May 16, 2024 Elk Grove, CA The Ridge Elk Grove 25 May 30, 2024 Wheaton, IL Danada Square East 29 May 30, 2024 Oceanside, CA Pacific Coast Plaza 32 June 6, 2024 Bay Shore, NY Gardiner Manor Mall 24 June 13, 2024 San Antonio, TX Bandera Pointe 24 September 5, 2024 Franklin, TN Cool Springs Market 24 September 5, 2024 San Mateo, CA Bridgepointe Shopping Center 36 September 12, 2024 San Diego, CA Clairemont Town Square 25 September 19, 2024 Mooresville, NC Mooresville Crossing 28 September 26, 2024 Houston, TX Meyerland Plaza 34 September 26, 2024 Mason, OH Deerfield Towne Center 30 October 3, 2024 Raleigh, NC Triangle Town Place 32 October 10, 2024 Fort Myers, FL Bell Tower 31 October 17, 2024 Noblesville, IN Hamilton Town Center 25 October 17, 2024 Omaha, NE Village Pointe 30 October 24, 2024 Tarzana, CA Village Walk 25 November 1, 2024 The Company has also announced plans to open the following stores: City Location Square Footage (000s) Timing of Opening Nordstrom Rack Davis, CA The Davis Collection 25 Spring 2025 Matthews, NC Sycamore Commons 25 Spring 2025 Geneva, IL Randall Square 25 Spring 2025 Manalapan Township, NJ Manalapan Commons 26 Spring 2025 Apple Valley, MN Fischer Marketplace 30 Spring 2025 Houston, TX Westchase Shopping Center 30 Spring 2025 Morrisville, NC Park West Village 25 Spring 2025 Coral Springs, FL Pine Ridge Square 31 Fall 2025 Surprise, AZ Prasada North 26 Fall 2025 Holbrook, NY The Shops at SunVet 27 Fall 2025 Hyannis, MA The Landing at Hyannis 25 Fall 2025 Prosper, TX The Gates of Prosper 26 Fall 2025 Melbourne, FL The Avenue Viera 24 Fall 2025 Meridian, ID The Village at Meridian 25 Fall 2025 Lakeland, FL Lakeside Village 30 Fall 2025 Sarasota, FL Sarasota Pavilion 27 Spring 2026 The Company had the following store counts as of quarter-end: November 2, 2024 October 28, 2023 Nordstrom Nordstrom 93 93 Nordstrom Local service hubs 6 6 ASOS | Nordstrom — 1 Nordstrom Rack Nordstrom Rack 280 258 Last Chance clearance stores 2 2 Total 381 360 Gross store square footage 26,874,000 26,305,000 During the third quarter, the Company closed one Nordstrom Rack store. FISCAL YEAR 2024 OUTLOOK The Company updated its financial outlook for fiscal 2024, which reflects the estimated accelerated technology depreciation impacts expected in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2024: CONFERENCE CALL INFORMATION The Company's senior management will host a conference call to provide a business update and to discuss third quarter 2024 financial results and fiscal 2024 outlook at 4:45 p.m. EST today. To listen to the live call online and view the speakers' prepared remarks and the conference call slides, visit the Investor Relations section of the Company's corporate website at investor. nordstrom .com . An archived webcast with the speakers' prepared remarks and the conference call slides will be available in the Quarterly Results section for one year. Interested parties may also dial 201-689-8354. A telephone replay will be available beginning approximately three hours after the conclusion of the call by dialing 877-660-6853 or 201-612-7415 and entering Conference ID 13750079, until the close of business on December 3, 2024. ABOUT NORDSTROM At Nordstrom, Inc. (NYSE: JWN), we exist to help our customers feel good and look their best. Since starting as a shoe store in 1901, how to best serve customers has been at the center of every decision we make. This heritage of service is the foundation we're building on as we provide convenience and true connection for our customers. Our interconnected model enables us to serve customers when, where and how they want to shop – whether that's in-store at more than 350 Nordstrom, Nordstrom Local and Nordstrom Rack locations or digitally through our Nordstrom and Rack apps and websites. Through it all, we remain committed to leaving the world better than we found it. Certain statements in this press release contain or may suggest "forward-looking" information (as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995) that involves risks and uncertainties that could cause results to be materially different from expectations. The words "will," "may," "designed to," "outlook," "believes," "should," "targets," "anticipates," "assumptions," "plans," "expects" or "expectations," "intends," "estimates," "forecasts," "guidance" and similar expressions identify certain of these forward-looking statements. The Company also may provide forward-looking statements in oral statements or other written materials released to the public. All statements contained or incorporated in this press release or in any other public statements that address such future events or expectations are forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from these forward-looking statements are detailed in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended February 3, 2024, our Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarter ended May 4, 2024 , our Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarter ended August 3, 2024 and our Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarter ended November 2, 2024 , to be filed with the SEC on or about December 5, 2024 . In addition, forward-looking statements contained in this release may be impacted by the actual outcome of events or occurrences related to the Company's announcement of the exploration of possible avenues to enhance shareholder value, including consideration by a special committee of the board of directors of a proposal brought forward by members of the Nordstrom family to take the Company private. These forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and speak only as of the date made, and, except as required by law, the Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent events, new information or future circumstances. In addition, the actual timing, price, manner and amounts of future share repurchases, if any, will be subject to the discretion of our board of directors, contractual commitments, market and economic conditions and applicable Securities and Exchange Commission rules. This earnings release includes references to websites, website addresses and additional materials, including reports and blogs, found on those websites. The content of any websites and materials named, hyperlinked or otherwise referenced in this earnings release are not incorporated by reference into this earnings release or in any other report or document we file with the SEC, and any references to such websites and materials are intended to be inactive textual references only. The information on those websites is not part of this earnings release. NORDSTROM, INC. CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF EARNINGS (unaudited; amounts in millions, except per share amounts) Quarter Ended Nine Months Ended November 2, 2024 October 28, 2023 November 2, 2024 October 28, 2023 Net sales $3,347 $3,200 $10,353 $9,926 Credit card revenues, net 117 120 339 347 Total revenues 3,464 3,320 10,692 10,273 Cost of sales and related buying and occupancy costs (2,156) (2,080) (6,760) (6,488) Selling, general and administrative expenses (1,225) (1,163) (3,680) (3,466) Canada wind-down costs — 25 — (284) Earnings before interest and income taxes 83 102 252 35 Interest expense, net (26) (24) (79) (78) Earnings (loss) before income taxes 57 78 173 (43) Income tax (expense) benefit (11) (11) (45) 43 Net earnings $46 $67 $128 $— Earnings per share: Basic $0.28 $0.41 $0.78 $— Diluted $0.27 $0.41 $0.76 $— Weighted-average shares outstanding: Basic 164.6 162.0 164.0 161.5 Diluted 169.8 163.6 168.1 161.5 Percent of net sales: Gross profit 35.6 % 35.0 % 34.7 % 34.6 % Selling, general and administrative expenses 36.6 % 36.3 % 35.5 % 34.9 % Earnings before interest and income taxes 2.5 % 3.2 % 2.4 % 0.4 % NORDSTROM, INC. CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (unaudited; amounts in millions) November 2, 2024 February 3, 2024 October 28, 2023 Assets Current assets: Cash and cash equivalents $397 $628 $375 Accounts receivable, net 544 334 322 Merchandise inventories 2,780 1,888 2,626 Prepaid expenses and other current assets 311 286 392 Total current assets 4,032slot 50 minimum deposit 。

AP News Summary at 10:56 a.m. EST

PROCEPT BioRobotics to Present at Upcoming 36th Annual Piper Sandler Healthcare Conference on December 4, 2024

The Tennessee Titans are expected to be keeping Brian Callahan and much of his staff for the 2025 season, Ian Rapoport reported Saturday morning. This is more of a reassurance than it is news, but one particular line included in his report turned the heads of many Titans fans. With two weekends to go in the 2024 NFL season, there are several coaching situations still in flux. We took an expansive look at all of them. Story with @TomPelissero : https://t.co/dcl3DdGpp0 https://t.co/dcl3DdGpp0 "Internally, there is a feeling Callahan has shown long-term promise and the team has improved" Rapoport said in his explanation of what he has heard. The reaction from many on social media was along the lines of " what could Titans brass possibly be looking at to make them think this?!". The answer to that question is actually many key underlying metrics that you may be surprised to learn are improved this season. So the question then becomes why these improvements haven't mattered in terms of win, losses, and overall competitiveness. And that answer is about at simple as it gets. So let's look at what the people in charge of Brian Callahan's employment are seeing when they review the production of this team. Where The Titans Have Improved Believe it or not, the Titans have improved since the 2023 season in many statistical categories. We're focusing on offense here of course, as the question of Brian Callahan's success is primarily involving the offensive side of the ball. Let's look at the some comparisons year-over-year (Weeks 1-16): Points/game has marginally increased from 18.27ppg to 18.93ppg. Yards/game has gone from 293.3 to 301.4. They've allowed 9 less sacks, 21 less QB hits, 11 less hurries, and 50 fewer pressures. Completion percentage has gone up from 61% to 63.3%. They've created 6 more explosive passing plays while managing just 1 fewer explosive running play without Derrick Henry. Their 3 & Out rate has gone down marginally from 34.8% to 34.7%, and their 3rd down conversion rate is up from 33.9% to 37.1%. Finally, their redzone TD rate is up from 45.5% to 56.1%. So the Titans have improved in a handful of meaningful areas when you compare full seasons. But let's go one step further and compare the back halves of each season. This is the part of the year in which teams are expected to really be rounded into form and playing their best football, especially teams with a new head coach finding their bearings. Most of those same metrics are more dramatically improved when you compare Weeks 9-16: PPG- up from 17.75 to 20.5 YPG- up from 290.4 to 318.8 4 fewer sacks 11 fewer QB hits 31 fewer hurries (~4 less each game) 49 fewer pressures (~6 less each game) 3 more explosive passes, same number of explosive runs 3 & Out rate- down from 33.3% to 31.8% 3rd down conv%- up from 34% to 42.6% Redzone TD rate- up from 54.5% to 57.1% So this idea that the Titans haven't improved in any way simply isn't true. That's not to say that these metrics matter as much or more than wins and losses, because of course they don't. But they're the kind of stable metrics that are "stickier" over the long term for an offense. They're a reflection of the underlying process, which is what matters to Titans brass. So now we must answer why none of these things have mattered when it comes to improving general competitiveness. The answer is, well, three other statistics. Why None Of It Has Mattered Turnovers, pressure-to-sack ratio, penalties, and turnovers. These are the things that have completely neutered the Titans offense this year, rendering everything else meaningless in terms of winning. And yes, turnovers are on the list twice. Because really, you can point to turnovers alone as the thing that has killed this team singlehandedly. They've given the ball away nearly twice as much this year as they did in 2023! Believe it or not, if you filter out turnovers from every team this season, the Titans go from a bottom-10 offense by most metrics to a top-8-to-14 offense, depending on what stats you're focusing on. The difference between this team being a fringe top-10 offense and being a bottom-10 offense can almost be explained by turnovers alone. Turnovers are a finicky thing. In terms of overall ball security, turnovers are heavily impacted by luck and aren't the stickiest statistic. They're a poor predictor long-term. Turnovers come and go. From an individual standpoint, certain players can absolutely be turnover prone. And Will Levis, I shouldn't have to tell you, is a very turnover-prone player. Mason Rudolph has been this season as well at times, just slightly less so. The turnover handicap the Titans QB room has put on this team has been borderline terrorism. And that's in part why the #1 focus this offseason, as mentioned in Rapoport's article, is addressing the QB position. This article first appeared on A to Z Sports and was syndicated with permission.LONDON (AP) — A woman who claimed mixed martial arts fighter Conor McGregor “brutally raped and battered” her in a Dublin hotel penthouse was awarded nearly 250,000 Euros ($257,000) on Friday by a civil court jury in Ireland. Nikita Hand said the Dec. 9, 2018, assault after a night of partying left her heavily bruised and suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. McGregor testified that he never forced the woman to do anything against her will and said she fabricated the allegations after the two had consensual sex. His lawyer had called Hand a gold digger. The fighter, once the face of the Ultimate Fighting Championship but now past his prime, shook his head as the jury of eight women and four men returned the verdict after deliberating for about six hours in the High Court in Dublin. He was mobbed by cameras as he left court but did not comment. He later said on the social platform X that he would appeal the verdict and the “modest award.” Hand's voice cracked and her hands trembled as she read a statement outside the courthouse, saying she would never forget what happened to her but would now be able to move on with her life. She thanked her family, partner, friends, jurors, the judge and all the supporters that had reached out to her online, but particularly her daughter. “She has given me so much strength and courage over the last six years throughout this nightmare to keep on pushing forward for justice,” she said. “I want to show (her) and every other girl and boy that you can stand up for yourself if something happens to you, no matter who the person is, and justice will be served.” The Associated Press generally does not name alleged victims of sexual violence unless they come forward publicly, as Hand has done. Under Irish law, she did not have the anonymity she would have been granted in a criminal proceeding and was named publicly throughout the trial. Her lawyer told jurors that McGregor was angry about a fight he had lost in Las Vegas two months earlier and took it out on his client. “He’s not a man, he’s a coward,” attorney John Gordon said in his closing speech. “A devious coward and you should treat him for what he is.” Gordon said his client never pretended to be a saint and was only looking to have fun when she sent McGregor a message through Instagram after attending a Christmas party. He said Hand knew McGregor socially and that they had grown up in the same area. She said he picked her and a friend up in a car and shared cocaine with them, which McGregor admitted in court, on the way to the Beacon Hotel. Hand said she told McGregor she didn't want to have sex with him and that she was menstruating. She said she told him “no” as he started kissing her but he eventually pinned her to a bed and she couldn't move. McGregor put her in a chokehold and later told her, “now you know how I felt in the octagon where I tapped out three times,” referring to a UFC match when he had to admit defeat, she said. Hand had to take several breaks in emotional testimony over three days. She said McGregor threatened to kill her during the encounter and she feared she would never see her young daughter again. Eventually, he let go of her. “I remember saying I was sorry, as I felt that I did something wrong and I wanted to reassure him that I wouldn’t tell anyone so he wouldn’t hurt me again,” she testified. She said she then let him do what he wanted and he had sex with her. A paramedic who examined Hand the next day testified that she had never before seen someone with that intensity of bruising. A doctor told jurors Hand had multiple injuries. Hand said the trauma of the attack had left her unable to work as a hairdresser, she fell behind on her mortgage and had to move out of her house. Police investigated the woman’s complaint but prosecutors declined to bring charges, saying there was insufficient evidence and a conviction was unlikely. McGregor, in his post on X, said he was disappointed jurors didn't see all the evidence prosecutors had reviewed. He testified that the two had athletic and vigorous sex, but that it was not rough. He said “she never said ‘no’ or stopped” and testified that everything she said was a lie. “It is a full blown lie among many lies,” he said when asked about the chokehold allegation. “How anyone could believe that me, as a prideful person, would highlight my shortcomings.” McGregor’s lawyer told jurors they had to set aside their animus toward the fighter. “You may have an active dislike of him, some of you may even loathe him – there is no point pretending that the situation might be otherwise,” attorney Remy Farrell said. “I’m not asking you to invite him to Sunday brunch.” The defense said the woman never told investigators McGregor threatened her life. They also showed surveillance video in court that they said appeared to show the woman kiss McGregor’s arm and hug him after they left the hotel room. Farrell said she looked “happy, happy, happy.” McGregor said he was “beyond petrified” when first questioned by police and read them a prepared statement. On the advice of his lawyer, he refused to answer more than 100 follow-up questions. The jury ruled against Hand in a case she brought against one of McGregor’s friends, James Lawrence, whom she accused of having sex with her in the hotel without consent.

"in my casual ware, I love wearing U of I gear and my same blue jeans. My kids call me a walking advertisement of UIUC," Rashid Bashir says. To subscribe, click here. To submit a letter to the editor, click here. To pitch a 'My Turn' guest column, email jdalessio@news-gazette.com . Want to purchase today's print edition? Here's a map of single-copy locations. Sign up for our daily newsletter here How’s this for an immigration success story: Teen brothers, aged 15 and 17, move from their native Pakistan to the United States, landing in Lubbock, Texas, where the youngest gets a part-time job working the grill at McDonald’s and eventually grows up to become dean of the University of Illinois’ Grainger College of Engineering. “It was our father’s vision to send us to America for education and to better our lives. I had money for one year and a return ticket,” says RASHID BASHIR , who’s in Year 7 of running higher ed’s No. 9 engineering school, per U.S. News & World Report’s annual rankings. You name it, the scholar with two degrees from Purdue has done it in his field — Bashir has authored 250-plus journal papers, been granted 45 patents and been named a fellow in eight international professional societies. The Grainger Distinguished Chair in Engineering, who joined the UI faculty in 2007, took time out to answer questions from Editor Jeff D’Alessio in the 261st installment of our weekly speed read spotlighting leaders of organizations big and small. Grainger College of Engineering Dean Rashid Bashir chats with acclaimed UI alum Steve Chen, who co-founded YouTube. The single-most important question I ask job candidates during interviews is ... how would you like to change the world for the better or what Mars-shot goal would you like to achieve in 10 years? My philosophy on meetings is ... define the purpose, focus on outcomes, assign tasks and walk away with action items. My single favorite moment of all-time in this job was ... the celebrations of the college naming to Grainger College of Engineering. When it comes to the one thing I can’t live without ... I hate to say this but my cellphone. The three adjectives I hope my staff would use to describe me are ... empathetic, humble and visionary. On my office walls, you’ll find ... pictures of my family, my professional awards and fellowships of professional societies. My professional role model is ... in my current research realm, John Rogers, who is now at Northwestern. John is a genius, works super hard and is just a very nice guy. I’m frugal in that ... in my casual ware, I love wearing U of I gear and my same blue jeans. My kids call me a walking advertisement of UIUC. If I could trade places for a week with any other business person in town, I wouldn’t mind switching with ... Dr. Jim Leonard, CEO of Carle, to learn and experience the health-care delivery industry from the inside. And health care is such a challenging and important industry. I have great regards for Carle — how it’s running and growing and partnering with us in the Carle Illinois College of Medicine. My one unbreakable rule of the workplace is ... have respect for each other. The first thing I do when I get to work most days is ... talk to Cindy Pruitt, my amazing administrative assistant, about the day and the next few days. For lunch, I like to ... just work through and catch up on email and tasks. Lunch is not a priority if I don’t have meetings. I wind down after work by ... spending time with family, catching up on news and monologues from the previous night’s comedy shows. The most beneficial college classes I took were ... two bioengineering graduate elective classes during the last year of my Ph.D. I fell in love with biology and bioengineering. That is when I decided to make a switch from electrical engineering and nanotechnology research to integrating nanotechnology with biology and medicine. I also took a short course on neuro-electric interface at Princeton and my Ph.D. advisor supported me to take that summer short course, and this further heightened my interest in bioengineering. The last good book I read was ... “Chip War: The Fight for the World’s Most Critical Technology” — but I now have a stack that I cannot find time to read. My exercise routine consists of ... at least 30 minutes on the elliptical and 20 minutes on weights — three to four times a week if I can. I knew this is what I wanted to do for a living at age ... 25, when I finished my Ph.D. I knew I wanted to do research in bioengineering and be a professor. The first job I ever had was ... when I was 15/16, at McDonald’s in Lubbock, Texas, making hamburgers on the 10:1 grill. I learned a lot — discipline, hard work, customer service. The manager taught all the high schoolers to never stand still and keep smiling. I was the proud winner of the store competition, in-town competition and went to state competition — a great experience. The worst job I ever had was ... my second job — at Fur’s Cafeteria in Lubbock, washing dishes. It was tough. I was 17.

Daniel Penny doesn't testify as his defense rests in subway chokehold trial

On Tuesday night, group play for this season’s NBA Cup continues, with the Los Angeles Lakers traveling to Phoenix to face the struggling Suns. The biggest news surrounding this game is the return of All-Star Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal, who both began the season on fire before suffering minor injuries that have sidelined them for the past few weeks. Can the Suns shake off their recent play now that Durant and Beal are back in the mix and secure a win against the Lake Show? Keep reading our Lakers vs. Suns preview and check out the best Pennsylvania sportsbooks. Durant and Beal Set To Return The Phoenix Suns’ season thus far has been a roller coaster, and the main talking point around this team has been their performance with and without Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal. Without Durant, the Suns have a 1-6 record and a net rating of -10.2. Their sole win in that stretch came against the 4-12 Utah Jazz. With Beal also sidelined, Phoenix has dropped five consecutive games. Durant was lighting it up before his calf injury, averaging 27.6 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per game on ridiculous efficiency; he had knocked down 55.3% of his field goal attempts and 42.9% of his 3-point shots. Beal also posted 17.8 points per game on a 48/38/81 shooting split before he was forced to miss some time. During their first nine games, the Suns appeared to be a legitimate Finals-contending team, holding an 8-1 record and a net rating of +3.4. Talk about a drastic difference when they have Beal and Durant available. The Suns enter this group play matchup against Los Angeles as 3.5-point favorites despite losing six of their past seven outings. Phoenix holds a horrendous 5-11 record against the spread, while the Lakers are only slightly better, covering seven of their 16 games (7-9) thus far. Oddsmakers also expect a high-scoring affair, with the total resting at 231.5 points. Both teams have an over record above .500, as the Lakers are 9-7 on the over, while the Suns are 10-6. Lakers Stumble In Back-to-Back Losses The Lakers have performed better than many predicted through the first chunk of the 2024-25 regular season, holding a 10-6 overall record. However, they had an even more impressive 10-4 record before a 30-foot 3-pointer from young Magic star Franz Wagner at Crypto handed them their fifth loss of the season. In the following game, the Lake Show were outscored by 31 points in the second half en route to a double-digit blowout loss against the Nuggets. Anthony Davis, who currently has the sixth-highest MVP odds, had one of his worst games of the season against Denver, finishing with just 14 points on 6-for-19 shooting from the floor. Davis will be in a solid position for a bounce-back game against a Suns team that is undersized in the frontcourt. Where: bet365 Sportsbook Why: Anthony Davis has been a monster for the Lakers this season, averaging 30.1 points, 11.1 rebounds, and 2.8 assists per game on close to 56% shooting from the field and 41% from behind the arc. But Davis’s dominance isn’t relegated to just one end of the floor. He is also a force on defense, recording more than three “stocks” (steals and blocks) per game so far this season. Historically, AD has been terrific against the Suns. In fact, he has logged two or more blocks in seven of his past seven games against them. As mentioned above, Davis should have a significant advantage over an undersized Phoenix team on both ends of the floor, and he should be motivated after the Lakers’ blowout loss to Denver. Bet This: Anthony Davis Over 1.5 Blocks -125 Lakers vs. Suns Prediction The Suns are 5-0 at home with a +5.5 net rating when Kevin Durant is on the floor. That has to mean something. The team’s shot making, ball movement, and offensive fluidity are noticeably improved when Durant is available. His gravity offensively alleviates pressure from other players, including Tyus Jones, Jusuf Nurkic, Devin Booker, and Beal. Phoenix will have a roller-coaster season simply because it lacks depth, and any minor injury to one of its key players will derail any positive momentum. However, the Suns have their starters healthy tonight, and that should be enough to hold off a Lakers team that has the third-worst defensive rating in the league on the road. Pick: Suns -3.5 (-110, DraftKings Sportsbook )