The Phoenix Suns have been on a great run lately, winning six games in a row and looking to make it seven when they face the Dallas Mavericks on Friday. This game is part of their early-season stretch, where they aim for their eighth win in the first nine games.
The Suns beat the Mavericks 114-102 on October 26, despite Luka Doncic scoring a season-high 40 points for Dallas. That win marked the beginning of Phoenix’s current winning streak.
On Wednesday, the Suns extended their streak with a 115-112 win over the Miami Heat. Kevin Durant had a standout performance with 32 points and 8 rebounds.
Devin Booker added 22 points, and Jusuf Nurkic helped with 20 points and 18 rebounds. Phoenix held on for the win, showing once again that they know how to close out tight games this season.
Durant praised the team’s ability to stay calm in close moments. “We don’t let it rattle us,” he said. “Guys aren’t panicking on the bench, coaches aren’t getting up screaming or upset. I think we just try to focus on how to be good the next possession and move from there.
Coach called (a couple of) timeouts when they made some runs and we scored out of those timeouts and also got a stop. That’s usually key.”
Durant leads the Suns with an average of 27.8 points per game, which ranks seventh in the NBA. Booker follows closely with 24.4 points per game.
The Mavericks are looking to win back-to-back games for the second time this season after their 119-99 victory over the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday. Doncic led Dallas with 27 points and 13 assists, while Kyrie Irving and Daniel Gafford each scored 17 points.
Doncic is averaging 28.6 points per game this season, which is lower than his league-leading 33.9 points from last year. The Mavericks have also added Klay Thompson, who is scoring 14.5 points per game and shooting 39.1% from beyond the arc, as they continue to work him into their offense.
In Wednesday’s win over Chicago, the Mavericks showed a more team-focused style with 33 assists on 45 field goals, a change from their usual isolation-heavy play.
Dallas head coach Jason Kidd acknowledged the adjustment, saying, “I think we have two of the best iso players (Doncic and Irving) in the league, in the world, and so it’s easy to lean in and go to that right off the bat. But to get other guys involved, I thought the group made a conscious effort for Klay to touch the ball.
We thought the group did a great job, Klay even turned down some shots early.
But the ball movement where multiple guys touched the ball, it’s hard to guard in this league and I thought the guys really made a conscious effort of doing that.”
Mavericks center Dereck Lively will miss his third straight game due to a shoulder injury. For the Suns, rookie Ryan Dunn’s availability is uncertain after he sprained his left ankle in Wednesday’s win over Miami.
In their first matchup this season, Durant led the Suns with 31 points, Booker added 21 points, and Nurkic contributed 18 points and 14 rebounds.
