Luka Doncic Dazzles in Mavs Win vs. Suns, Begins Push Toward First MVP
If Luka Doncic's chances at winning his first MVP are dependent on the Dallas Mavericks' ability to become one of the top seeds in the West, their 123-113 win over the Phoenix Suns on Thursday at American Airlines Center and seven-game winning streak have done nothing but help his odds to win the award.
Doncic dazzled once again with 41 points, 11 assists and nine rebounds. With the win, Dallas (33-23) earned the tiebreaker over Phoenix (33-23) and would have the higher seed if they had the same record at the end of the season.
"Amazing," Doncic said. "I think we have an amazing team, and seven in a row — it hasn’t happened for a while. I’m really happy with the guys we have on our team.”
Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
No win during this current Mavs run showed their improvement and the importance of having Doncic and Kyrie Irving on the court together more than the one against Phoenix. On Jan. 24 without Irving, Dallas led by as many as 16 points against the Suns in the first half before getting ran out of the building in the second half en route to a 132-109 loss.
This time, after trailing 63-60 at halftime, a 16-0 run from the Mavs to begin the second half seized control of the game, and they never relinquished it.
“I think it answers the question that they work,' Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd said. "Those two coexist quite well. I think it just shows, again, our health, our energy, everything's in a positive way right now. We're getting great looks."
Irving had 29 points, five rebounds and three assists, including some fancy finishes and some silky-smooth 3s. Dallas’ seven-game winning streak has coincided with Irving returning from a thumb injury.
Doncic jumpstarted the second-half run, making three of the team's five consecutive 3s, with P.J. Washington and Josh Green accounting for the other two before the Suns called a timeout with 9:17 left in the third quarter. The five-time All-Star didn't score for the rest of the third quarter, but he helped put the game away with 11 points in the fourth.
"They made five threes straight, and that put us in a hole right there," Suns forward Kevin Durant said. "I mean, Luka hit three tough step-back threes over us. That's the game. You have to live with something with him."
Durant added on guarding Doncic: "You can't be as physical with him because he is just so crafty. That is half the battle on defense; being physical. [We] try to dictate where the offensive player goes, but he dictates what he wants. [He] plays at his pace, and he can make every shot."
Durant was largely kept in check by the Mavs defense, as he scored 23 points on 9 of 22 shooting, including going 2 for 8 from beyond the arc. Suns guard Devin Booker led the team with 35 points and eight assists.
"You have to be ready every possession," Booker said of defending Doncic. "You know the ball is going to be in his hands. He has the balance figured out of making the right play to his team and knowing when to be aggressive at the same time."
With seven straight wins, Dallas has moved out of the play-in tournament and is currently the sixth seed in the West. The Mavs only trail the New Orleans Pelicans (34-22) by a game of the No. 5 seed.
The schedule doesn't get any easier in the upcoming days with the Indiana Pacers (32-25), Cleveland Cavaliers (36-18) and Boston Celtics (44-12) being part of a four-game road trip. If Doncic can continue to lead Dallas past some of the NBA's best, it'll further his case for his first MVP.
