Game Recap: Suns defense shows up, but offense falls flat in 98-89 loss to Dallas

Durant scores 35 points on a feisty night in the Valley of the Sun.

The Phoenix Suns battled the Dallas Mavericks on Friday night in downtown Phoenix, ultimately losing by a final score of 98-89.

It wasn’t much of a battle in the first half as the Suns had a hard time converting shots. Phoenix shot just 33.3% from the floor in the first half and trailed 55-39 at the half after an abysmal 14-point second quarter.

The second half saw three players get ejected as Jusuf Nurkic slapped Naji Marshall upside the head, and was then pushed by P.J. Washington. The ejections opened up the floor for Kevin Durant, who scored a game-high 35 points on 11-of-19 shooting from the field. That’s 57.9%. The rest of the team? 21-of-64 (32.8%) for 54 points.

Bradley Beal had a tough night, shooting 5-of-18 from the field and ending with 11 total points.

The Suns held the Mavericks to 98 points, their third-best defensive effort this season. But their stagnant offense was their downfall as they scored 89 points, their second-worst scoring output on the year.

The loss drops the Suns back down to .500 as they are now 15-15 on the season.

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Game Flow

First Half

It took just 3 minutes and 15 seconds for Coach Budenholzer to slam the brakes with his first timeout. The Mavericks, a team ranked sixth in the NBA in three-point shooting, came out launching missiles and connecting with ruthless efficiency. They started 4-of-5 from beyond the arc, forcing Budenholzer to regroup as Phoenix quickly fell into a 14-4 hole.

To their credit, the Suns punched back. Fueled by a surge of defensive intensity and opportunistic turnovers, they strung together an 8-0 run that shifted the momentum, at least temporarily.

But Kyrie Irving had other plans. With Luka Doncic sidelined, the Mavericks leaned heavily on their eight-time All-Star, and Kyrie wasted no time reminding everyone of his brilliance. He poured in 12 of Dallas’ first 20 points.

Ball security was a focal point heading into this matchup, and to their credit, the Suns delivered. They committed just two turnovers in the first quarter while forcing the Mavericks into four. That edge translated into eight points off turnovers for Phoenix. This was needed considering Dallas’ hot shooting. The Mavs connected on 50% from the field and an impressive 46.2% from beyond the arc in the opening frame.

Josh Okogie brought much-needed energy off the bench, impacting both ends of the floor. He knocked down a pair of three-pointers and played disruptive defense, forcing Dallas into mistakes.

Despite trailing by as many as 10 points early, the Suns clawed their way back, ending the first quarter down just 28-25.

Royce O’Neale struggled to find his rhythm early, starting 0-of-3 from beyond the arc. The opportunities were there — Dallas’ defensive rotations left him with open looks — but the shots simply wouldn’t drop. Royce and the Suns had a hard time scoring to open the second, missing their first 6 shot attempts from the field.

The Suns scored their first point in the quarter with 7:52 left in the quarter, cutting their deficit to 9 points.

Royce did convert his fourth attempt from deep, which cut into the Dallas lead, making it 38-30.

Ryan Dunn left it all on the court, embodying hustle and heart. He dove headfirst into the camera row chasing loose balls, battled for rebounds, hounded defenders, and drew offensive fouls. If grit were a currency, Dunn would be filthy rich.

Meanwhile, Dallas turned their focus inside during Oso Ighodaro’s minutes. With Daniel Gafford and Maxi Kleber anchoring the paint, the Mavericks exploited Phoenix’s interior, outscoring them 12-6 in the paint during the second quarter.

For the Suns, it was a brutal stretch offensively. They managed just 14 points in the quarter, tying their second-worst scoring period of the season…only slightly better than the 11-point fourth quarter disaster against Denver on Monday. Outscored 27-14 in the second, Phoenix stumbled into halftime trailing 55-39, searching for answers.

The halftime entertainment was a DJ battle, and when DJ Automatic played “They Not Like Us” by Kendrick Lamar, it felt as if the song was directed at the Mavericks. The song rang true…they not like us. They winning.

Second Half

If you were looking for some fight from the Phoenix Suns, you got it with 9:02 left in the third quarter.

Jusuf Nurkic, who was called for his second offensive foul of the quarter, was walking away when Naji Marshall said some words to him. Nurkic turned back around and swiped at Marshall’s face, who threw a punch at Nurkic. The Bosnian Beast went down while Marshall was swinging at him as P.J. Washington pushed him.

Jusuf Nurkic, Naji Marshall, and P.J. Washington were all ejected from the game. The technical free throw put the Suns down 60-45 as a result. The Suns would have to lean heavily on Mason Plumlee while Dallas would turn to Maxi Kleiber, Dwight Powell, and Quentin Grimes.

The ejections handed the Suns a clear advantage, leaving Maxi Kleber tasked with guarding Kevin Durant. Durant shot 3-of-7 from the field in the third, but his aggressiveness got him to the line, where he was 8-of-10. He had 15 points in the quarter.

Shooting woes continued for Phoenix as they shot 35% from the field in the third, but they held Dallas to 21.1%. After the ejections, Phoenix closed the quarter strong with a 19-12 run, outscoring Dallas 25-17 in the third and narrowing the gap to 72-64 heading into the final period.

The Suns’ defensive intensity continued into the fourth, led by Mr. Call Me Non Stop himself, Josh Okogie. Both he and Monte Morris did something I don’t see often from Phoenix: they ran some full-court press. Flustering Dallas at the point of attack wasn’t easy. Kyrie Irving is so damn shifty.

Effort leads to offense, as it did for Okogie. He ended the night with 8 points and 2 steals, but the effort he displayed was truly unquantifiable.

For every run the Suns had, Dallas had an answer. When shots aren’t falling, it’s hard to build any momentum. Turnovers began to hurt the Suns with every passing possession. The Suns had one final push in them, closing to within 8 at the 1:34 mark, but a pair of Daniel Gafford slam dunks sealed the game.

As the time ticked off the clock, the Mavericks pulled away to win their 20th game of the season. They were outscored

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Up Next

The Suns are hopping on a plane and headed to the coast. Gonna have a few laughs.

They play the Golden State Warriors tomorrow night at the Chase Center in San Francisco. No word on whether they are bringing flowers in their hair.