“ I think this answers the question of whether these two elements coexist well. » This kind of meeting proves Jason Kidd right and the Mavs regarding the complementarity between Luka Doncic And Kyrie Irving. The two men were untenable last night and guided the Texans to a solid victory against the Suns (123-113).
This is their 7th victory in a row, the best current streak in the league tied with that of the Celtics. Once again deprived of Bradley Beal (hamstring), the Suns had nevertheless taken things the right way, starting strong and taking the lead at the break, with a short lead (60-63).
But the minutes which followed the passage to the locker room were more delicate for the visitors. “ We didn't start the third quarter with enough attention. We were a little too stagnant offensively », Regrets Frank Vogel, whose team was limited to 28, then 22 points in the last two quarters. The Suns' attack is limited a little too often to the exploits of Kevin Durant, not varnished at 3-points, and Devin Booker.
The Luka Doncic – Kyrie Irving pair continued with five winning baskets in the 3rd period, before getting closer to the circle in the final moments. With them, the Texans offered themselves a cushion of around ten points in advance as the end of the third approached, a gap confirmed at the start of the fourth (104-93). Too limited in attack and struggling in transition defense, the Suns will never manage to challenge this lead.
WHAT YOU MUST REMEMBER
– Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving shine together. This is probably not a coincidence. The Mavs' seven-game winning streak, their best of the year, matches the longest streak the Texans have been able to line up the two stars together. In total, the Mavs have played 27 games without one or the other, or both. This night, the two men each shone in their register, Luka Doncic with his physique, Kyrie Irving with his technique, capable of creating spaces where they do not exist. Like his basket in transition, in the fourth and after a restart from the Slovenian, where he continued dribbling behind the back then “spin move”.
– Kevin Durant insulted upon his entry. Failed tunnel exit for Kevin Durant. When he had just arrived on the Mavs floor for the warm-up, the Suns winger stopped in his tracks to say a few words to two Mavs fans, in the stands at the edge of the field. The latter would have insulted him by “ b*tch » and looked very annoyed to see KD turn around. “ I know people want to pet the animals in the zoo, to get closer to them, but once they get closer, they realize that you are real living beings too. So you should treat us the same. I could have had them expelled “, reacted the star after the meeting.
– Same results but “tie breaker” favorable to the Mavs. This match had its importance on the final ranking. The two teams in fact have the same record today (33 wins – 23 losses), but as the Texans have won two of three clashes scheduled this season, they benefit from the “tie breaker”. Thus the Mavs occupy 6th place in the West, while the Suns are 7th, the place of the first concerned by the “play-in”. This would not do the Suns' business as the battle for the last direct qualifications in the playoffs promises to be fierce.
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How to read the stats? Min = Minutes; Shots = Successful shots / Attempted shots; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; O = offensive rebound; D=defensive rebound; T = Total rebounds; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost balls; Ct: Against; +/- = Point differential when the player is on the field; Pts = Points; Eval: player evaluation calculated from positive actions – negative actions.
