The Phoenix Suns kept on playing efficient and effective offense in a 123-114 win over the Dallas Mavericks, at least for three quarters to make it six victories in their last seven games.
Through three periods, the Suns (7-5) scored 95 points with 27 assists and eight turnovers. They shot 49% from the field and 41% from 3. The defense wasn’t anything special, but Dallas couldn’t sink enough shots to make some lackadaisical and generous rotations pay.
The Mavericks (3-9) were without Anthony Davis (left calf strain) and Dereck Lively II (right knee sprain), and then P.J. Washington was ruled out due to a left shoulder strain after playing just five minutes. They are also missing Kyrie Irving (torn ACL), so that’s just a real lack of firepower to duel with how the Suns were scoring.
But the recipe for a Dallas comeback was lying down in wait to be brewed, and it finally came to fruition in the fourth quarter.
Phoenix comfortably led from the late second quarter until the mid-fourth. Its lead was as high as 16 in the final frame, when the offense totally dried up. The Suns were up 14 off a Ryan Dunn dunk with 8:34 remaining and were struggling to put together good possessions, which showed in the ensuing next few minutes. The only way Phoenix would score was a Devin Booker lob to Mark Williams, an overextending foul by a Dallas defender and a blown coverage in semi-transition that left Booker wide-open directly under the basket.
The Suns scored those six points in a span of 5:56, letting the Mavericks get as close as three points. Despite all the work Dallas did to get that close, it still left some money on the table in a few squandered possessions once the game got tight. When Grayson Allen got a bucket with 1:25 left to put Phoenix up five, no one scored for the next minute until Allen’s free throws to ice it.
This was the most balanced offensive effort of the Suns season. They had six players in double figures: Booker (26 points), Allen (23), Williams (10), Dillon Brooks (18), Royce O’Neale (13) and Jordan Goodwin (13).
Dallas shot the ball better, 50% to 46.3%, but Phoenix scored 29 points off the Mavericks’ 21 turnovers.
Williams played 26 minutes in the first game of a back-to-back. Phoenix’s blowout win on Monday allowed him to only register 20, which head coach Jordan Ott said afterward helped give Williams at least a chance at getting out there for both games. At the same time, Ott did reference the Suns “have a plan,” and that plan is surely not for Williams to play back-to-backs yet.
Phoenix coming into Wednesday outscored teams by 14.2 points per 100 possessions when Williams was on the floor, and when you add on by how it was outscored by 12.3 points per 100 possessions when he wasn’t, that net rating gap of 26.5 is up there with any across the league. That is equal parts how well Williams is performing, how often he shares the floor with Booker and how poor the other centers have been.
If Williams is out on Thursday, it challenges Oso Ighodaro and Nick Richards to play much better basketball. That is against an Indiana Pacers team that on Tuesday played a frontcourt rotation of Tony Bradley, Jeremiah Robinson-Earl, Isaiah Jackson and Jay Huff.
Do the Mavericks blow it up?
No. 1 overall pick Cooper Flagg had 16 points, six rebounds, six assists, three steals, two blocks and four turnovers in 34 minutes for Dallas. The 18-year-old received a shoulder-crushing weight of pressure right out of the gates, a combination of hype as the best prospect out of college in a certain amount of years and the immediate transition of becoming the new face of the franchise in place of Luka Doncic.
On top of that, Dallas’ improper roster balance and lack of faith in D’Angelo Russell had Flagg initiating the offense to begin the year, the type of decision that can stagnate his growth despite the “point-forward” chops he does possess. In game No. 8 of the season, Russell replaced Klay Thompson in the starting lineup to alleviate that, only for score-first guard Brandon Williams to get that nod on Monday and against the Suns too.
Even with Davis and Lively healthy, the Mavericks won’t be in the top-half of the standings until they figure out their ball-handler situation, whether that’s an early-season trade or choosing to wait all the way until Irving is back.
There’s also the probability of the new front office leadership seeing the lunacy in the now-fired Nico Harrison’s vision most did, going as far as a full-swing pivot into a rebuild, especially after landing Flagg. No matter how injured Davis remains this season, he will have his fair share of suitors. Irving’s rehab makes it a bit more tricky with the timing of the trade deadline in February, but you never know with this league. Both have an additional season left on their contracts, with player options for the 2027-28 campaign.
Flagg and the 21-year-old Lively should have Dallas be A-OK with exerting patience. The Mavericks, in possession of their first-round pick this year, would also be motivated to tank because this is the last first-rounder they have control of until 2031. Charlotte has it in 2027 (top-two protected), OKC has swap rights (of course) in 2028, the 2029 pick is gone and the 2030 selection also has swaps on it.
A retool of younger pieces in exchange for Davis and Irving, along with a few picks here and there, and the Mavericks should be back in business within a year or two assuming Flagg is all he is hyped up to be.