Dallas Basketball

Suns lead Mavericks at halftime, 60-54, behind balanced scoring attack

Dallas' Naji Marshall leads all scorers with 15 as the Mavs trail at the half by six.
Keenan Womack|
Mar 9, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Max Christie (00) runs back up court after he makes a three point basket against the Phoenix Suns during the first quarter at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
Mar 9, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Max Christie (00) runs back up court after he makes a three point basket against the Phoenix Suns during the first quarter at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

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Dallas Mavericks

In the midst of a miserable stretch of Mavericks basketball in which the majority of the team is out with injury, the patchwork roster has kept it close with another struggling team in the Phoenix Suns, trailing 60-54 at the half of the game at American Airlines Center.

Led on offense by Kevin Durant (11 points) and Grayson Allen (10 points), the Suns have used a balanced scoring attack to hold the lead against the Mavericks, which was in the double digits for a decent portion of the second quarter, but Dallas refused to roll over and fought back behind 15 points, six assists, and three rebounds from wing Naji Marshall.

Brandon Williams also provided 11 points, four rebounds, and three assists for the struggling Mavericks in a game with play-in implications in the Western Conference. With Dallas missing four centers in Anthony Davis, Dereck Lively II, Daniel Gafford, and recently signed Kai Jones, Phoenix has dominated the boards, out-rebounding the Mavs 25-13 in the first half. Phoenix is also crushing Dallas in the paint, shooting 16-for-20 on the interior.

READ MORE: Mavericks missing playoffs would make them NBA 'laughingstock'

However, the Mavericks have remained competitive in the matchup, mostly due to the Suns' inability to take care of the basketball, turning it over eight times to Dallas' two. The home team is also out-shooting Phoenix from deep (7-for-18 to the Suns' 4-for-14), and has made more three throws than Phoenix has shot. Still, the Suns hold the lead, having been ahead by as many as 15 points in the first half before a late-second-quarter surge that brought Dallas within six.

Though the Mavs are dealing with one of the worst months in the history of basketball, starting with the Luka Doncic trade that left fans and analysts baffled, it's clear this team is not ready to throw in the towel, even as injured as they are. In order to compete in the second half, they will need to improve interior play, but with the lack of bigs on the active roster, this may prove difficult.

READ MORE: Kyrie Irving, Anthony Davis among 10 Mavericks on injury report vs. Suns

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Keenan Womack
KEENAN WOMACK

Keenan Womack is a sportswriter native to Dallas, Texas, who has spent the last 12 years in Austin, the home of his alma mater, the University of Texas. Keenan has covered sports for SB Nation, Bleacher Report, Rivals/Orangebloods, a host of his own sites and now, Fan Nation. Focusing on basketball, Keenan was on the beat for the Longhorns hoops team for the last two-and-a-half years before moving on to pursue other opportunities. He is married and lives with his wife close to the Moody Center, so they can continue to catch games together.

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