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

On By Littum

The Phoenix Suns fought back Dallas Mavericks Friday night in downtown Phoenix and ultimately lost by a final score of 98-89.

It wasn’t much of a game in the first half as the Suns struggled to convert shots. Phoenix shot just 33.3% from the floor in the first half and trailed 55-39 at the half after a monstrous 14-point second quarter.

In the second half, three players were ejected when Jusuf Nurkic headbutted Naji Marshall and was then shoved by PJ Washington. The ejections opened the floor for Kevin Durant, who scored a game-high 35 points on 11-of-19 shooting from the field. That is 57.9 per cent. The rest of the team? 21-of-64 (32.8%) for 54 points.

Bradley Beal had a rough night, shooting 5-of-18 from the field and finishing 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 undoing as they scored 89 points, their second-worst of the year.

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

Game Flow

First half

It took only 3 minutes and 15 seconds for coach Budenholzer to hit the brakes with his first timeout. The Mavericks, a team ranked sixth in the NBA in three-point shooting, came out firing 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 fought back. Fueled by a surge of defensive intensity and opportunistic turnovers, they put 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 scored 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 necessary given 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 and hit both ends of the floor. He knocked down a pair of three-pointers and played disruptive defense, forcing Dallas into fouls.

Despite trailing by as many as 10 points early, the Suns clawed their way back and ended 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 fall. Royce and the Suns struggled to score to open the second, missing their first 6 shot attempts from the field.

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

Royce converted his fourth attempt from deep, cutting into the Dallas lead and making it 38-30.

Ryan Dunn left it all on the field and embodied hustle and heart. He dived head first into camera line after loose balls, fought for rebounds, chased down defenders and made offensive fouls. If gravel 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 took advantage of 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 stretch 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 and searching for answers.

The halftime entertainment was a DJ battle, and when DJ Automatic played “They Not Like Us” by Kendrick Lamar, it felt like the song was aimed at the Mavericks. The song rang true…they don’t like us. They win.

Second half

If you were looking for a game 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, walked away when Naji Marshall had some words for him. Nurkic turned and stroked the face of Marshall, who threw a punch at Nurkic. The Bosnian Beast went down as Marshall swung at him as PJ Washington shoved him.

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

The ejections gave 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, outscored Dallas 25-17 in the third and narrowed 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 often see from Phoenix: they ran a full track press. It wasn’t easy to confuse Dallas at the point of attack. Kyrie Irving is so damn shifty.

Effort leads to stumbling, as it did for Okogie. He finished the night with 8 points and 2 steals, but the effort he put in was truly impossible to quantify.

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

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

Next

The Suns hop on a plane and head for the coast. Gotta have a few laughs.

They play Golden State Warriors tomorrow night at the Chase Center in San Francisco. No word on whether they’ll come with flowers in their hair.