The Suns start the second half of the season off with a disappointing loss to the Mavericks
The Suns kicked off the second half of their season in Dallas on a Thursday night primetime game against the Mavericks.
Things seemed to be going Phoenix’s way as they started the game with an 8-0 lead. However, the Mavericks eventually caught up and only trailed 33-32 at the end of the first quarter.
Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving led the way, with Doncic finishing with 41 points and Kyrie with 29. The Mavs were also able to knock down clutch shots, starting the third quarter with a 9-0 run.
The Suns’ problems were fixable, but this was a night where they couldn’t get it right. Frank Vogel presented an unusual lineup of Devin Booker, Grayson Allen, Josh Okogie, Nassir Little, and Royce O’Neale. This lineup was composed after a rough start on both sides of the floor in the third.
Phoenix ultimately put themselves back in the game at one point, trailing 84-80, but Dallas outmatched them in size. The Mavericks kept grabbing offensive rebounds, and in the fourth, they took an 11-point lead. Any time the Suns fought back, they wouldn’t let up. It was a good game from Devin Booker as he finished with 33 points, but lacking a supporting cast, the Suns lost 123-113.
While many things didn’t go the Suns’ way, they still had chances to push through. Kevin Durant couldn’t seem to get it going with his 23 points on 9-22 shooting. Bradley Beal was absent with a hamstring injury. There is still plenty of regular season left, but the Suns are going to have to win games like this, as they now sit at 33-23, being the seventh seed in the Western Conference.
