Arizona’s Family (Ch. 3 TV) will broadcast the Phoenix Suns’ game against the Dallas Mavericks (19-11) on Friday at 7 p.m.
This is the second game in their three-game season series and the first of both teams’ back-to-back games.
Devin Booker will miss the Suns’ fourth straight game due to a left groin injury. Due to a calf strain, Dallas star Luka Doncic will be sidelined for at least a month. Without Booker, the Suns are headed by Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal, while the Mavericks are led by Kyrie Irving and Klay Thompson.
Phoenix recently ended a three-game losing streak with a 110-100 victory over Denver at home on Christmas. On the holiday, Dallas lost to Minnesota 105-99. In the Western Conference, Phoenix and Dallas are ranked eighth and fourth, respectively.
Two Mavericks players and Suns’ Nurkic were dismissed in the third
Phoenix is still behind 72-64 after Kevin Durant scored 15 of his 28 points in the third quarter.
The game’s most heated event, however, was an altercation in the quarter.
Nurkic was given an offensive foul for hooking Daniel Gafford on a post move, which caused them both to fall, with the Suns down 60-44 at 9:02.
Nurkic paused and spoke as he made his way back into Kyrie Irving’s huddle at the Mavericks’ end of the floor. After exchanging more comments with Naji Marshall, Nurkic swung at Marshall, starting the altercation. P.J. Washington shoved Nurkic after Marshall had punched him in the neck.
All three players received Flagrant 2 fouls following the officials’ review of the scrap, which resulted in their automatic ejection.
After that, the Suns embarked on a quick 6-0 run to cut the advantage to 10 at 6:26. However, Kyrie Irving’s sixth long-range basket at 3:45 gave the Mavericks the lead back to 18 points. To cut the margin to eight points at the end of the third quarter, Durant led the Suns on a 12–2 run.
The Suns struggle in the second quarter as the Mavericks extend their lead.
At the break, Phoenix has its biggest disadvantage, 55-39. Five of the Suns’ seven turnovers occurred during the second quarter.
Despite having a team-high 13 points, Durant only went 1-of-5 at the half after cooling off following a scorching 4-of-4 start in the first session. Beal scored four of eleven points, or nine.
Irving scored a game-high 15 points for the Mavericks, while big man Daniel Gafford scored 10.
After shooting 10-of-25 in the first quarter, the Suns’ shooting slowed to 3-of-12 overall in the second.
Phoenix trails Dallas 28–25 going into the second quarter, but Durant and the Suns respond to Irving and Maverick’s outburst in the first quarter.
In the first period, Durant and Irving, two former Brooklyn colleagues, were in the hot seat. Irving scored a game-high 12 points on 4-of-6, all from outside the arc, while Durant had nine points on a perfect 4-for-4.
Irving made three of his first three shots, giving the Mavericks a 14–4 lead after the Suns had a poor start. The Suns responded to the early Mavericks’ push with their own 8-0 run, which was led by Beal (five points) and Durant, along with two steals by Ryan Dunn and Jusuf Nurkic, following the timeout that was called at 8:45 to stop the bleeding.
After Irving made his fourth three-pointer to put the Mavericks ahead 17–12, Maxi Kleber of the Mavericks and Tyus Jones of the Suns swapped three-pointers.
Josh Okogie helped the Suns by making two 3-pointers off the bench.
Starting lineups
The Suns will start Kevin Durant, Jusuf Nurkic in the middle, Ryan Dunn at the three, and Tyus Jones and Bradley Beal in the backcourt.
The Mavericks will start with Daniel Gafford at center, Irving running the point, two-guard Thompson, and forwards P.J. Washington and Naji Marshall.
Suns’ Allen, Bol out Both 7-footer Bol Bol (left knee) and Phoenix shooter Grayson Allen (concussion) will miss their fourth consecutive game. TyTy Washington and Collin Gillespie are both away on G League assignments.
Dante Exum (wrist) and Dallas star Dereck Lively II (hip) are out.
