Luka Doncic scored a game-high 41 points to help lead the Dallas Mavericks to a 123-113 victory over the visiting Phoenix Suns on Thursday.
Doncic hit six 3-pointers and added 11 assists and nine rebounds. Kyrie Irving added 29 points for Dallas, which extended its winning streak to seven. P.J. Washington and Tim Hardaway Jr. tallied 12 points apiece.
Devin Booker led Phoenix with 35 points, while Kevin Durant scored 23. Eric Gordon had 16 for the Suns, who saw their modest two-game winning streak snapped but still have won 13 of the last 18. Josh Okogie scored 11 points, followed by 10 each from Grayson Allen and Royce O’Neale.
After Phoenix held a 63-60 halftime advantage, Dallas began the second half on a 16-0 run, including five 3-pointers. Doncic was responsible for three triples in the stretch, while Washington and Josh Green each connected on a 3, forcing two Phoenix timeouts in the first three minutes of the third quarter.
From there, the Suns responded with a 17-5 run, including three straight Booker buckets, trimming Dallas’ lead to 81-80 with 5:03 left in the quarter.
The Mavericks extended their advantage to 96-88 with 34 seconds left in the third, before Nassir Little’s 3-pointer cut the Suns’ deficit to five entering the final quarter.
However, Dallas went on another run, going up 109-96 on Maxi Kleber’s layup with 8:29 left.
After buckets from Gordon and Booker cut the Dallas lead to eight at the 7:37 mark, the Suns faced a double-digit deficit the rest of the way.
The Suns led 63-60 at halftime.
Okogie’s dunk gave the Suns a 29-19 lead at the 3:12 mark of the first quarter, before Irving’s triple gave Dallas a 32-31 advantage with 28 seconds left – the Mavericks’ only lead of the first half.
The Suns opened the second quarter on a 21-11 run. Gordon’s 3-pointer gave Phoenix a 54-43 lead with 5:32 left.
Dallas then cut into the deficit, as Doncic’s jumper trimmed the Suns’ lead to 63-60.
Booker led the Suns with 16 points in the half, while Doncic poured in 21.
Dallas claimed its first season-series win over Phoenix since 2015-16.
–Field Level Media