Shorthanded Suns Outlast Mavericks Despite Luka Dončić’s 40-Point Performance
Despite Luka Dončić’s 40-point effort, the Mavericks struggle with fouls and depth in a 114-102 loss to the shorthanded Suns missing Bradley Beal and Grayson Allen.
PHOENIX — The Dallas Mavericks (1-1) faced their first road test of the season but fell 114-102 to the Phoenix Suns (2-1) on Saturday night at the Footprint Center. Despite high-volume scoring nights from Luka Dončić, Kyrie Irving, and Klay Thompson, Dallas struggled with fouls, poor shooting, and defensive lapses, allowing Kevin Durant and the Suns to secure the victory.
Dončić led Dallas with 40 points and 10 rebounds and went 11-of-12 from the free-throw line. Yet the Mavericks shot just 39.8% from the field and 13-of-41 (31.7%) from 3-point range while Dončić doled out only 4 assists. Outside of Dončić, Kyrie Irving (22 points), and Klay Thompson (19 points), Dallas’ role players struggled, managing just 21 points combined.
In addition to being on the second night of a back-to-back, Phoenix managed the win without Bradley Beal, who was ruled out before the game with right elbow soreness, and Grayson Allen, who missed the matchup for personal reasons after being listed as questionable. Even without two starters, the Suns maintained offensive balance and physicality, led by Durant’s 31 points and 9 rebounds.
P.J. Washington recorded 5 points and 6 rebounds but shot 2-of-10 from the floor, including 1-of-5 from deep. Daniel Gafford contributed 7 points, 8 rebounds, and 4 assists but was overpowered by Phoenix’s interior presence, led by Jusuf Nurkić. Second-year player Dereck Lively II added 5 points, 11 rebounds, and 3 assists but faced early foul trouble that limited his impact. Jaden Hardy went scoreless in 13 minutes, missing all four of his shots, while Naji Marshall managed just 2 points, 2 rebounds, and 3 assists, going 1-of-5 from the floor.
“I think we had a couple great shots, feeling like a lot of short shots. I think we had some great looks that we would probably knock down some other time,” Dončić said. “They were physical with us, they played great defense, and they only allowed about 100 points so I think they were aggressive and then some great things on defense.”
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Both teams generated 0.989 points per possession in half-court settings, but Phoenix held a major edge in transition, outscoring Dallas 18-4 in fast-break points. The Suns capitalized on their fast-break opportunities, producing 1.308 points per possession, while Dallas managed only 0.533 points per possession when pushing the ball. Another challenge for the Mavericks was coming away with only 0.6 points per possession on spot up plays—with players missing open shots frequently.
“I thought the shot quality was high,” Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd said. “Ky (Irving) had great looks, Luka had great looks, and Klay had a lot of them go in and out. But those guys got high-quality looks, they just didn’t go down for us. We missed some layups again tonight, some in the paint, but that happens.”
Phoenix, meanwhile, found a rhythm at crucial moments. In addition to Durant’s 31 points, Nurkić added 18 points and 14 rebounds, controlling the paint on both ends, while Devin Booker contributed 21 points and 5 assists. Rookie Ryan Dunn added 13 points, including key threes in the fourth quarter, keeping Phoenix in command. Tyus Jones steadily dished out 7 assists, keeping the Suns as mistake-free as possible.
Suns Take Control Early
Dallas initially jumped out to a quick 7-2 lead, but it stayed tight the rest of the period, with Phoenix up 28-26 through the end of the first quarter. The Suns followed up with a 35-point second quarter, taking a 63-55 lead at halftime. Phoenix’s efficient transition offense and Dallas’ inability to establish a consistent offensive flow allowed Phoenix to control the game.
Dončić set the tone early by scoring 23 of his 40 points before halftime, while Irving and Thompson each provided double-figure scoring performances while combining for 22 points. Phoenix stuck with more traditional pick-and-roll coverages with Nurkic in drop and playing up-to-touch at times instead of blitzing like the Suns did under previous head coach Frank Vogel. It helped to limit the Mavericks’ supporting cast. Outside of the Mavericks’ three stars, the the rest of the roster was contained to 10 points and shot 4-of-12 from the floor and 1-of-6 on threes.
“It’s really good, with so much room for improvement. Game two of 82 and I’m very encouraged with our trust in each other and what our potential can be,” Thompson said. “But tonight was a great learning experience for us, and we’ll be better.”
A problem that quickly developed for the Mavericks was an inability to defend without fouling. Dallas committed 28 fouls, including his own four, which were too many. The Suns got to the free throw line 37 times and made 28 of them. The Mavericks were efficient from the line by shooting 15-of-18 (83.3%) on free throws but were more than doubled in attempts.
Kidd pointed to Phoenix’s frequent trips to the line as a factor, saying, “They shot (37) free throws, so when you’re taking the ball at the free-throw line and sitting there waiting, we just couldn’t get into rhythm. Give them credit; they were attacking and got to the free throw line.”
“We just have to play without fouling,” Thompson said. “It starts with me; four fouls, too many.” He added that the frequent whistles broke the team’s rhythm, especially in transition. “It can, but we just have to play without fouling,” he continued.
The Mavericks were punished for trying to send early help at the nail and for sending an early low man when guarding pick-and-roll and isolation. It played a significant role in the Suns shooting 9-of-21 from the perimeter entering the break, with an output of 1.429 points per possession out of spot-up—a mark that strongly outproduced the Mavericks’ 0.857 output.
Third Quarter Opportunities Slip Away
The Mavericks needed a strong third quarter to set a foundation to potentially close the game if they were going to turn the game around. The Mavericks were clicking early, with a flashy give-and-go exchange between Irving and Gafford leading to an emphatic dunk for the big man to cap off a 12-5 run, cutting the Suns’ lead to one. However, Phoenix closed the period outscoring Dallas 23-13.
Dončić and Irving, along with role players, were involved in a lengthy stretch riddled with missed in short-range, whether finishing, taking a floater, or on a pull-up. Dallas shot 9-of-25 overall and 3-of-9 from deep in the third period. However, excluding the efficient 10 points Dončić provided, the Mavericks totaled 15 points while shooting 6-of-16 from the floor and 1-of-5 from the perimeter.
“It’s different coverage. Different teams are going to give us, and they’re going to try to take away the lob. Like today, just 10 more layups for me,” Dončić explained. “So, it just depends on what the defense gives us and its only been two games.”
The Mavericks were held down by continued poor execution in transition offense, coming up empty on all five spot-up possessions in the third quarter. While Hardy missed a few catch-and-shoot jumpers, Washington did the same. Washington was also unable to attack off the catch despite the Suns sending early help at the nail. Outside of Thompson, Dallas has to be better about making teams pay for sending help. These low-floor nights from Washington and others will prove limiting.
Regardless, Dallas managed to trim the deficit to five points late in the third quarter after a quick 5-0 run led by Dončić, who got to the rim out of Stack pick-and-roll for a wide-open layup, followed by making Durant pay for going under in pick-and-roll by hitting a step-back three. Dončić checked out of the game, and then Phoenix responded with key shots to keep the Mavericks at bay.
Late Rally Falls Short
Down 91-80 entering the fourth, Dallas attempted to close the gap but could not get the necessary defensive stops to do it. An important detail to remember is that the Suns’ only starter on the floor during this time was Booker, just like how they closed out the third quarter. The Mavericks had Dončić, Thompson, and Irving out there. If a comeback was going to happen, a major run was needed.
After Dončić posted up with Thompson in the weak-side corner, the ball found the sharpshooter for a quick trigger corner three that he hit—making it a single-figure game. However, Booker immediately answered with a pull-up three to push the Suns’ lead back to 11. Later on, the Mavericks got a defensive stop, followed by Gafford finishing off a lob from Dončić. After Dunn’s missed three, Irving pushed it on the break and drew a foul for an and-one, pulling Dallas within six points with 10:39 left.
A major scoring drought from the Mavericks led to the Suns regaining control, beginning with a made three from Dunn after leaving him open on a handoff, answering Irving’s jumper in the post that previously cut the deficit to six again. Suddenly, it was a 9-point game, and then Durant hit a contested transition three to make it 12. The former NBA MVP wasn’t done. His and-one finish in transition extended Phoenix’s lead to 15 with under seven minutes left, sealing the win for the Suns.
Thompson emphasized better defensive communication, especially in transition, where Dallas struggled to match Phoenix’s pace. “To talk to each other more, especially on the defensive end. That was really it. Limit our fouls, 37 free throws—not good,” Thompson said.
Midway through the period, the Mavericks deployed a small-ball lineup featuring Marshall and Washington instead of Kleber, who exited with a right hamstring injury. Depending on the details about Kleber’s injury, one of these players may need to fill in more at the five. Washington often guarded the center, making it likely to be him.
Looking Ahead
The Mavericks return home to face the Utah Jazz on Monday, hoping to get back on track. A bounce-back performance is necessary, considering they will be starting a back-to-back that ends with a road game against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Going forward, Gafford emphasized the importance of the team supporting Dončić, who carried a significant offensive load throughout the game, by tightening up their defensive execution.
“He does everything that he’s supposed to do when he comes out there on the floor. We’ve got to be able to give him an extra push when it comes to the defensive side because we have to be there for him at the end of the day,” Gafford said. “He’s giving us so much, so we have to be able to do the same thing for him. Get stops down the floor, because the offense is going to come for us. We just have to build our wall for the defensive end.”
After displaying a more connected defensive performance in their regular season opener against a rebuilding San Antonio Spurs squad, the Mavericks are still a work in progress against more talented teams. They also have to find ways to overcome poor role-player shooting with this current group.
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