The Dallas Mavericks hit the road for a brief, one-game road trip against the Phoenix Suns in the Valley of the Sun. The Mavericks dropped a 114-102 decision to the Suns at the Footprint Center in downtown Phoenix on Saturday night. Dallas fell to 1-1, while Phoenix improved to 2-1.
Luka Doncic led the Mavericks with 40 points, 10 rebounds, and four assists in 39 minutes. Kyrie Irving added 22 points, two rebounds, and five assists in 39 minutes. PJ Washington scored five points and six rebounds in 35 minutes, while Klay Thompson had 19 points, three rebounds, and one assist in 33 minutes. Former American Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps and his wife, Nicole Johnson, an American beauty queen who was crowned Miss California 2010, were in attendance. Phelps, 39, and Johnson, 39, reportedly live in a Phoenix-area home with their four sons: Boomer, Beckett, Maverick, and Nico.
Dallas Mavericks at Phoenix Suns Recap
The Dallas Mavericks’ road game against the Phoenix Suns was exciting, to put it mildly. The Mavericks set their sights on the Suns after Klay Thompson’s stellar Mavericks debut of six three-pointers, seven rebounds, and three steals. The Mavericks’ starting lineup consisted of Luka Doncic, Kyrie Irving, Klay Thompson, PJ Washington, and Daniel Gafford.
The Mavericks got off to a good start early in the first quarter. Klay Thompson got things started with the first of many buckets. But the Suns were locked in from downtown, a trend that continued into the second quarter. The Mavericks trailed 28-26 after the first quarter. The second quarter saw a similar pattern, as the Suns continued to dominate from downtown. With seven three-pointers made, Suns fans can get a free Western Bacon Cheeseburger at Valley Carl’s Jr. locations on Sunday. The Mavericks trailed 63-55 at the end of the first half.
Both teams were sluggish to start the third quarter, but the Suns took a 10-point lead with less than six minutes left. The Mavericks picked up the pace and cut the Suns’ lead to a single-digit one for a bit, but the Mavericks’ efforts weren’t enough. The Mavericks trailed 91-80 after three quarters. The Mavericks’ defense declined in the fourth quarter while the Suns’ offense was uptempo, thanks to head coach Mike Budenholzer and point guard Tyus Jones, both of whom are in their first seasons in Phoenix. The Mavericks lost 114-102 at the end of regulation.
Dallas Mavericks at Phoenix Suns Highlights
The Dallas Mavericks and Phoenix Suns’ matchup featured a laundry list of highlights, such as Luka Doncic’s 13 points in the first 12 minutes. Doncic, 25, worked his magic early on and got down to business. For the Mavericks, PJ Washington hit a noteworthy three-pointer in the second quarter while the defense chants were loud and clear to the audience. Washington, 26, is reportedly ready to bring the Mavericks’ third NBA title to Dallas. For the Suns, Kevin Durant led the Suns’ scorers at halftime with 15 points, four rebounds, two assists, and one block. Durant’s scoring streak continued in the second half, and Durant, 35, became the eighth player in NBA history to score 29,800 career points.
In Case You Missed It
After Thursday’s game, San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich was reportedly frustrated that the Dallas Mavericks acquired Klay Thompson, one of the top shooters of this generation, in free agency this offseason. Popovich, 75, said in his postgame press conference, “Oh my God, how the hell did they do that? … That’s the honest-to-God truth. I was probably having a glass of wine somewhere and it wrecked my whole night. But you know about Klay (Thompson). He’s special. It’s a great addition, of course.”
Meanwhile, Los Angeles Lakers legend Magic Johnson praised the Mavericks on X, formerly Twitter, after Thursday’s win over the Spurs. Johnson, 65, wrote, “Klay Thompson looked great in his Dallas Mavericks debut scoring 22 easy points. The Mavs were missing a third scorer last year — now they have one in Klay Thompson.”
There wouldn’t be Mavericks headlines without some controversy. TNT analyst and former power forward Charles Barkley said on Thursday night’s “Inside The NBA” episode, “I think they got lucky last year because of matchups. Everything worked out perfectly. But this year, I think Phoenix is better, New Orleans is gonna be better, the Lakers are gonna be solid, Memphis is gonna be good. I think Dallas is a bottom of the West 6, 7, 8 seed.” Barkley, 61, was subsequently prompted about why he didn’t think Klay Thompson would be a big addition to the Mavericks. The 61-year-old responded, “I think (Dallas is) a middle-of-the-road team in the Western Conference.”
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