It was one of the most interesting duels in the Western Conference, between the Mavericks on four straight wins and the Suns on five straight wins and on their last leg of a five-game road trip.
At home, the Mavs were the first to strike, with a convincing start confirmed by a 14-0 in the second quarter scored by Kristaps Porzingis. Luka Doncic was not to be outdone with 19 points in the first half, and a hell of a number on the halftime buzzer. But the Suns had saved the best for last.
Chris Paul (20 points, 11 assists) and his team actually went 20-4 which proved fatal to Dallas. Devin Booker (28 points) and the Suns are therefore received 5/5 for their longest road trip of the season (109-101).
WHAT YOU MUST REMEMBER
– Dallas is racing in the lead. On four wins in a row, the Mavs surfed on their great momentum at the start of the match. Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis respectively scored 19 and 11 points in the first half, showing a good understanding on the boards. Not to spoil anything, Luka Doncic managed a 5-point action just at the half-time buzzer: with a close basket then a chained interception of a 3-pointer on the bell!
– Phoenix opens the 4th on a fatal 20-4! But the Suns are not born from the last rain, their leader at least! “Chris Paul knows when to go”, soberly commented Jason Kidd, also a veteran leader in his time. At -6 heading into the final quarter, Phoenix went 9-0 that turned into 20-4, ending up 35-18 over the period. CP3 was the maestro of the end of the game, with 10 points in the last period to secure a fifth victory in a row for the Suns.
– Doncic, a bad neck. Author of 24 points in three quarters, Luka Doncic seemed in a great evening, as his spectacular end to the first half suggested, but the Slovenian star of the Mavs hurt his neck on a nasty fall in end of 3rd. And his impact was very limited in the last quarter, with only 4 points and 1 rebound… “My neck is no excuse. They have the best record in the league, but it’s infuriating, we were very close to winning. “
TOPS/FLOPS
✅ Devin Booker. The Suns All-Star had not set the sights behind the arc (1/8 only) but his overall performance lives up to his status with 28 points, 6 assists and 5 rebounds. He notably set the tone in the 1st quarter with 12 units, before securing in the money time, by getting his points on throws.
✅ Chris Paul. “Kept” at 10 points and 10 assists over the first three quarters, Chris Paul came out of his box as if by magic for the home stretch. The “Point God” scored as many points in the 4th as in the rest of the match, with 10 units at 4/6 on shots including 2/4 from 3-pointers, to carry the Suns to victory. The ideal manager with 11 assists and not a single lost ball (for the 49th time in his career).
✅ Mikal Bridges. Clumsy from afar, like Devin Booker, at 0/4, the winger still delivered a very good copy last night. The proof: 12 points, 8 rebounds, 6 assists and 4 steals! Still as active defensively with his immense arms, the Suns winger was able to weigh other than by pure and hard scoring.
✅ ⛔ Luka Doncic. It may be a little hard but Luka Doncic disappointed with his clumsiness and his stray bullets (8). If he still finished with 28 points, 8 rebounds and 8 assists, he still tore on shots with only 9/23 overall, and a small 2/9 from 3-pointers. Even if his name is Doncic, it’s too much waste!
⛔ Jalen Brunson. The Suns’ game plan was to thwart the organizers of Dallas because, in addition to Doncic at 8 stray balls, Jalen Brunson was also very expensive, with 6 “turnovers” which are expensive. If the former Villanova was good at scoring with 19 points at 8/13, he did not manage to put his teammates in a good position, with telephone passes or questionable inspirations…
THE FOLLOWING
Dallas (26-20) : the Mavs stay at home to welcome Memphis on the night of Sunday to Monday.
Phoenix (35-9) : reception of Indiana on the night of Saturday to Sunday, for their first home game since January 8th.
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