Suns

Durant's 14-foot jump shot with 12.1 seconds remaining to put Phoenix up 128-126 proved to be the game-winning basket. Dončić's attempt near the basket rimmed ...

Phoenix coach Monty Williams went with [Ish Wainright](https://theathletic.com/nba/player/ish-wainright-5SZ1rqQ7ggg5tQyQ/) in the second half. Dallas chose to leave [Josh Okogie](https://theathletic.com/nba/player/josh-okogie-drgStPYGzbav9klW/) open in the corner — and for most of the game, it worked. [NBA](https://theathletic.com/nba/)’s best closers. In the second half, Phoenix adjusted its rotation to include Wainwright and Dallas (33-32) is in seventh. Irving and Dončić had 30 and 34 points, respectively, in the losing effort.

Luka Doncic and Devin Booker got in each other's faces during the final seconds of Phoenix's win in a thrilling Sunday afternoon game at the American ...

Doncic said the thigh has been an issue for the past week and especially Sunday, when he said his left leg seemed weaker when he tried to shoot or jump. Nevertheless, Dallas dropped to 2-5 in games Irving has played alongside Doncic, with all five losses decided in the final seconds. [Kevin Durant](https://www.espn.com/nba/player/_/id/3202/kevin-durant) gave Phoenix the lead with a pull-up jumper. However, Doncic said his sore thigh had nothing to do with his missed shot with the game on the line. It was a chippy series highlighted by Doncic muttering, "Everybody acting tough when they're up" while walking to the locker room after the Mavs' Game 5 loss and standing next to Booker and smirking at him during Dallas' Game 7 blowout victory. It was a frustrating afternoon for Doncic, who was bothered by soreness in his left thigh.

The Mavericks and Suns had a riveting renewal of their rivalry that eventually ended with Phoenix escaping with a 130-126 victory as Kevin Durant was the ...

Without them, the Mavericks might not have been in a position to have a chance for the win. The big picture is to win the ballgame and we failed at that today.” It was one of the rare games this season when Dončić did not lead the Mavericks in scoring by halftime. “The level of play rises, emotions rise and you see everybody display that on their facial expressions,” said Irving, trying to put the end of the game in perspective. But the Suns clearly are going to be a beast, as was evident with Durant getting 37 points and Booker 36. “Those two guys, they’re probably one of the best (duos) in the league, Book and KD. The Mavericks had time and got a sensational look when Dončić wheeled into the paint and lifted a short push shot that he can make with his eyes closed. As Irving said: “We did our best to make sure the ball found the right people. The Suns improved to 36-29. I have no problem with Luka [Dončić] on or off the court, but when we’re competing, we’re competing.” “There’s some bad blood still there,” said Tim Hardaway Jr., whose three-point shooting binge in the first half was a big reason the Mavericks had a legitimate shot at winning at crunch time. Hardaway, who was quick to say that neither Dončić nor any Mavericks were going to back down from anybody, said perhaps some emotional confrontations were bound to happen at some point.

Four superstars went at it Sunday afternoon in an instant classic between the Phoenix Suns and the Dallas Mavericks.

The irony here, of course, is that Doncic speaks with officials more than anyone in the league and this being what really set him off to react. Irving wasn’t going to affect the play, and neither was Reggie Bullock, who was on the left side of the floor covering Booker. On the ensuing possession, Booker missed a jumper but Ayton was alone on the offensive glass (because of the contest on Booker) for a crucial tip-back to put Phoenix up two. The Suns continue to curiously struggle in this matchup when Doncic rests. Christian Wood scored eight straight in the fourth quarter and Hardaway got one more triple but that was about it. That had seized it, a one-point lead through the third despite Doncic and Irving scoring 30 of the Mavericks’ 33 points. Up to that point, the game had gotten away from Chris Paul and Deandre Ayton. It got Paul with a rotating Doncic covering him, and while Paul’s good look didn’t go down, an over-the-back foul on the miss gave the Suns the ball back. They obliged in matching the Mavericks’ go-to offense in an ugly 12 minutes full of foul and matchup hunting. Doncic and Irving scored or assisted 56 of the Mavericks’ 64 points. Booker and Durant scored or assisted 60 of the Suns’ 71 points. That means the four of them scored or assisted 116 of the game’s 135 points in the final two quarters.

It is often said in the NBA that the regular season is about strengths and the playoffs are about weaknesses. For the new-look Phoenix Suns on Sunday, ...

[Damion Lee](/nba/players/2266145/damion-lee/), [T.J. [Tim Hardaway Jr](/nba/players/2067672/tim-hardaway-jr/). The Suns not only have two of the best offensive players in the [NBA](/nba/), but two of the most lethal in the mid-range. The floor is going to cramp for the rest of the Suns, and their playoff fortunes are going to be threatened. That's two certainties, two flawed but very valuable contributors, and a whole lot of question marks. He stayed on the floor the remainder of the game and made four of his five open 3-pointers. The same is going to be true of plenty of Phoenix's opponents. We've already touched on one NBA platitude so let's acknowledge another: it's a make or miss league. [Chris Paul](/nba/players/555969/chris-paul/) got the non-shooter treatment a few times in the fourth quarter. [Devin Booker](/nba/players/2152529/devin-booker/) and Kevin Durant combined for 73 points on over 64 percent shooting from the field. The Mavericks couldn't defend Durant or Booker, but they didn't defend anyone else. For the new-look

Phoenix Suns Charities has teamed with street artist Sentrock to create a sweatshirt for the Devin Booker Starting Five class of 2022-23.

… The Starting Five design to me shows five characters coming together in unity.” “I knew I had to go all out for this. Phoenix Suns Charities has teamed with muralist, street artist and designer Sentrock to create a sweatshirt to commemorate the Devin Booker Starting Five class of 2022-23.

Luka Doncic had 34 points for Dallas, but his point-blank shot for a tie rimmed out.

Things got heated between Luka Doncic and Devin Booker near the end of Sunday's Dallas Mavericks-Phoenix Suns showdown.

Doncic and the Mavs bounced the No. 1-seeded Suns from the conference semifinals with a stunning Game 6 beatdown in Phoenix. But when we're competing, we're competing." Luka Doncic fouled Kevin Durant after missing a potential game-tying floater in the final seconds. "It's just two competitors going at it," Booker said. "[Doncic] said something to me first and I responded.

Phoenix won this round, but it's not lost on these teams that the potential playoff meeting between them would be full of drama.

It’s also disappointing that Kleber couldn’t play in what would’ve been the best test yet for the returning big man and his ability to stabilize — not single-handedly, but through the importance of his presence — this defensive unit that has struggled all season. They baited the Suns into trying to play through [Deandre Ayton](https://theathletic.com/nba/player/deandre-ayton-PlF5bckQOtrRhpgu/)’s mismatches in the post, ones that didn’t work, something that they achieved with startling success last postseason. Kleber’s added ability to switch onto players like Durant and Booker would’ve been a fascinating scenario for a team that is incentivized to double the opponents that scare them most. Two games against conference opponents below them in the standings — Utah at home Tuesday and a trip to New Orleans the following day — provide the next chances to right wrongs. [Josh Green](https://theathletic.com/nba/player/josh-green-tWFX9pjqC1g3ojtN/), back in his starting role and playing 28 minutes, only had two field goal attempts. [Maxi Kleber](https://theathletic.com/nba/player/maxi-kleber-yLF22QB0J9VK3S0v/) wasn’t available, and the Mavericks still coerced Phoenix into many of the shots they want them to take. It called back to last postseason’s bitter seven-game series and broke new ground with [Kyrie Irving](https://theathletic.com/nba/player/kyrie-irving-c9XLlxAFm6NG5ddD/) and [Kevin Durant](https://theathletic.com/nba/player/kevin-durant-ho6h1sijyi2PAURU/)’s first meeting as rivals since leaving the [Brooklyn Nets](https://theathletic.com/nba/team/nets/) last month. Is there a bit of a push on the hip? There’s a postscript to the competitive and at times encouraging defeat, one in which the Mavericks fell into Play-In Tournament range and put them in danger of not even splitting their six-game homestand pending Tuesday’s results against the [Dallas Mavericks](https://theathletic.com/nba/team/mavericks/) and Phoenix Suns’ most recent rematch — with [Phoenix](https://theathletic.com/nba/team/suns/) winning 130-126 on the Sunday afternoon showdown — whirred seamlessly between emotional peaks: spectacular amazement, stomach-clinching dramatics, petty temperaments. It’s what basketball fans say they want from the entertainment product we consume: Two teams that dislike each other, two players enjoying the other’s failures, a rivalry amplified beyond the shot-for-shot brilliance that would be a joy to watch by itself. It’s easy to anticipate the talking points that will spew from Booker’s maybe-innocuous-maybe-intentional prodding and Doncic taking the bait.

Durant scores 37 points and gives Phoenix the lead with 11 seconds left in a 130-126 win.

Morant streamed the video on his Instagram account early Saturday of himself holding what appeared to be a gun at a nightclub, hours after playing in Denver. It’s going to be a difficult process but we’ve got a great group to get through this.” LaVine, who scored a game-high 42 points, was fouled on a 3-point attempt by Bennedict Mathurin and converted the first two free throw tries. Milwaukee began the night a half-game ahead of Boston for first in the Eastern Conference. Utah trailed by double digits for the final 42 minutes of Sunday’s game. “He’s definitely embracing the mistakes that he’s made but only time will tell. Jordan Clarkson led Utah with 18 points but missed all five of his 3-point attempts. The Thunder also won in blowout fashion on Friday, 130-103. Los Angeles ran off seven straight points and would go up 103-95 before 3-pointers by Klay Thompson and Curry made it a two-point game with 1:46 remaining. and Irving for the lead. We’re going to support him and we’re going to hold him accountable to make those changes.” Paolo Banchero led Orlando with 26 points.

A superstar-driven Sunday matinee highlighted the key problem for Phoenix and Dallas: a lack of roster depth.

The Mavs ranked 24th in the league in defense before the trade and are 26th since sending their best defender, [Dorian Finney-Smith](https://www.espn.com/nba/player/_/id/2578185/dorian-finney-smith), to the [Brooklyn Nets](/nba/team/_/name/bkn/brooklyn-nets). [Tim Hardaway Jr](https://www.espn.com/nba/player/_/id/2528210/tim-hardaway-jr). The Mavericks are in a similar position. The other two, [Kevin Durant](https://www.espn.com/nba/player/_/id/3202/kevin-durant) and [Kyrie Irving](https://www.espn.com/nba/player/_/id/6442/kyrie-irving), icily ignored each other like exes at an awkward social event just a month after their breakup radically altered the NBA landscape. It would've worked for the home team if [Ish Wainright](https://www.espn.com/nba/player/_/id/3059307/ish-wainright), who was promoted from a two-way contract 10 days ago, hadn't made four 3-pointers when Suns coach Monty Williams was desperate. Can a player on a minimum contract break the opponent four times in seven games? Or at least do so in the possible game or two that could swing a series? They played their first three games together on the Suns' just-concluded road trip and combined for 188 points. And so Chris has been in those moments, maybe not as a catch-and-shoot guy, but I think he's ready for it and he wants it." The Suns and Mavericks are headed toward a full-blown rivalry. It's simple game theory; he's the weak link in this alignment. As Dallas swung defenders to manage the Durant-Booker tidal wave, that is what repeatedly happened.

The Suns have ruled out Landry Shamet, while Deandre Ayton is listed as questionable and Terrence Ross is probable. Meanwhile, Josh Okogie has been upgraded to ...

Durant was 12 of 17 from the field and 10 of 11 from the line in his first 30-point performance in three games since joining the Suns in a blockbuster deal ...

He said this was the worst the injury had felt but that it didn’t affect the missed shot late. Suns: Josh Okogie was 0 of 8 on mostly corner 3s when Torrey Craig hit one from the left corner and Wainwright dropped two in a row from the right corner to turn Phoenix’s 93-85 deficit into a 94-93 lead late in the third quarter. ... F Davis Bertans (left calf strain) was available for the first time since Feb. 8 Arizona 81-73, goes 17-0 at home](https://www.fox10phoenix.com/sports/no-4-ucla-beats-no-8-arizona-81-73-goes-17-0-at-home) [Philadelphia Eagles WR Zach Pascal robbed at gunpoint in Maryland](https://www.fox10phoenix.com/news/philadelphia-eagles-wr-zach-pascal-robbed-at-gunpoint-in-maryland) The last of those 3s put the Suns up two with 2:07 remaining. Mavericks: F/C Maxi Kleber was inactive after playing two games coming off a hamstring tear that had sidelined him since December. I felt like I had a good handle on the ball. Phoenix is 3-0 with Durant, while Dallas dropped to 3-6 since Irving joined the club. and Irving, who scrambled over for the double team when Durant went to his left. Once I had it on my hip I felt like I was in good position to stop on a dime." Just three of the points came after the opening minutes, but two were on a putback during the frantic final minute. It was bound to happen at some point, them coming face to face.

Kevin Durant and Devin Booker combined for 73 points Sunday in leading Phoenix past Dallas to end a four-game road trip with third straight win.

So when the time came to forget the technical foul and turnover when being defended by the shorter Hardaway Jr. [Suns traded Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson, Jae Crowder](https://www.azcentral.com/story/sports/nba/suns/2023/02/08/report-phoenix-suns-obtain-kevin-durant-in-trade-with-brooklyn-nets/69887246007/), four first-round picks and a pick swap right before the Feb. The Suns needed him to deliver after Josh Okogie shot 0-for-8 from 3 following a 5-of-10 effort from deep against Chicago. [[email protected]](mailto:[email protected]) or contact him at 480-787-1240. Paul has talked about never being so wide open before as he’s now playing with Durant, Booker and Ayton, who draws attention inside. Then Williams said he was a game-time decision. and go after that Booker miss and put it back in to put the Suns up two late, he did so with two hands and finished over the top. Who will it be Wednesday against OKC? [Durant’s debut with the Suns](https://www.azcentral.com/story/sports/nba/suns/2023/03/01/5-takeaways-from-phoenix-suns-win-at-charlotte-in-kevin-durants-debut/69961432007/). “We got some smoke.” One, Booker is being what he is – a true scorer – and is playing one-on-one with Durant on the floor. [Phoenix to a 130-126 win over Dallas](https://www.azcentral.com/story/sports/nba/suns/2023/03/05/kevin-durant-delivers-phoenix-suns-outlast-dallas-mavericks/69974052007/).

In just his third game since returning from an MCL sprain, Durant was supposed to be on a minutes restriction. However, coach Monty Williams allowed him to stay ...

[Retweet](http://twitter.com/share?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.hoopsrumors.com%2F2023%2F03%2Fsuns-notes-durant-irving-booker-roster-depth.html&text=Suns+Notes%3A+Durant%2C+Irving%2C+Booker%2C+Roster+Depth)4 [Share](#)0 [Send via email](#)0 Durant had 37 points in Sunday’s win at Dallas and hit a tough jumper over [Tim Hardaway Jr.](https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/h/hardati02.html?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.hoopsrumors.com&utm_campaign=2023-03-06_bbr) with 12.4 seconds remaining that proved to be the game-winner. “You guys say you don’t want everybody to be friendly-friendly,” Booker told reporters. But Durant said afterward that he had “no emotions at all,” noting that he played against Irving many times before they teamed up in Brooklyn, Rankin adds. [Kyrie Irving](https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/i/irvinky01.html?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.hoopsrumors.com&utm_campaign=2023-03-06_bbr)since they both asked the Nets for a trade last month. In just his third game since returning from an MCL sprain, Durant was supposed to be on a minutes restriction. “I didn’t look over to (Williams) on purpose. [Devin Booker](https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/b/bookede01.html?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.hoopsrumors.com&utm_campaign=2023-03-06_bbr)and [Luka Doncic](https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/d/doncilu01.html?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.hoopsrumors.com&utm_campaign=2023-03-06_bbr)late in Sunday’s game, per [Tim MacMahon of ESPN](https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/35793037/kevin-durant-jumper-lifts-suns-mavs-sparks-fly-late). He notes that [Josh Okogie](https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/o/okogijo01.html?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.hoopsrumors.com&utm_campaign=2023-03-06_bbr), who has been inserted into the starting lineup, missed all eight of his three-point attempts Sunday, while [Torrey Craig](https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/c/craigto01.html?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.hoopsrumors.com&utm_campaign=2023-03-06_bbr)was just 1-of-4 from beyond the arc. “I was out there for a while,” Durant said. I wanted to keep playing, but I’m glad he trusted me out there. “Glad I made it.”

Nothing was wrong with the Mavericks' game plan against the Phoenix Suns on Sunday afternoon. Even the execution of said game plan was solid.

Are we talking about the Mavericks or the Suns? Almost all of that disparity was in the second half, when the Suns outrebounded the Mavericks 22-13. Moments later, Deandre Ayton tipped in a Booker miss and the Mavericks never regained the lead. But when there were, the Mavericks couldn’t find the ball. Wainright, who had four second-half three-pointers, finally missed a layup try with 2:28 to go, but the Mavericks couldn’t come up with the rebound. “You try to get the ball out of the two, three all-stars’ hands and have try to have other guys beat you.

Kevin Durant's tiebreaker jumper was like so many before — right on target in the closing seconds. Luka Doncic's potential tying floater moments later in ...

From Feb. 27 through Mar. 5 Booker, a three-time All-Star, averaged 36po ints over ra three-game span.

He earned Western Conference Player of the Month for October/November. In addition, Booker's 37 points in their 105-91 win at Charlotte last Wednesday marked the second-most by a Suns player against that team. 5, during which Kevin Durant played his first three games with the Suns](https://www.azcentral.com/story/sports/nba/suns/2023/03/05/phoenix-suns-living-learning-and-love-playing-with-kevin-durant/69972182007/), the three-time All-Star Booker led them to win all their road games against Charlotte, Chicago, and Dallas by averaging 36 points.

With an eye on fantasy basketball, André Snellings lists the five things he's watching closely for the upcoming week in the NBA.

[Chris Paul](https://www.espn.com/nba/player/_/id/2779/chris-paul) and the other wings don't require many shots, and center [Deandre Ayton](https://www.espn.com/nba/player/_/id/4278129/deandre-ayton) is the one that has to sacrifice his own scoring opportunities for the sake of the club. On Saturday, veteran [Kyle Anderson](https://www.espn.com/nba/player/_/id/2993874/kyle-anderson) (available in 80.5% of leagues) dropped 18 points, 9 assists, 7 rebounds, 3 3-pointers, 2 blocks and 1 steal for the Timberwolves, two games after consecutive outings averaging 12.0 PPG, 9.5 RPB, 4.0 APG and 1.0 SPG. [Kevin Durant](https://www.espn.com/nba/player/_/id/3202/kevin-durant) era seem to be playing out largely as I expected from a fantasy hoops POV, and maybe even better for Durant and [Devin Booker](https://www.espn.com/nba/player/_/id/3136193/devin-booker). If you are in one of the 86.4% of FBA leagues where backup point guard [Tyus Jones](https://www.espn.com/nba/player/_/id/3135046/tyus-jones) isn't rostered, it could be highly advisable for you to pick him up immediately. In many cases, these are the players most likely to outplay expectation down the stretch. [The most recent event](/nba/story/_/id/35799370/colorado-police-investigating-ja-morant-ig-live-video), Morant allegedly flashing a gun on IG Live from a nightclub in Denver, may be the most serious in terms of his availability this season. It's nice to have some justification for ranking them nearer to their actual value, and really, if you have them on your teams at this point you know the risk and are just hoping for the best. So, for this week's FBA points rankings update, which may be the last of the season since the FBA playoffs are starting soon, I removed the "likely to miss games" tax from Kawhi and he jumped up the rankings into the top-10. [Fantasy Basketball Rest of Season Rankings](/fantasy/basketball/story/_/id/34624972/2022-2023-fantasy-nba-basketball-points-league-rankings) also update on Mondays, so check those out as your prepare for this week's games. This weekend, it was announced that Morant would miss at least two games after reports of multiple incidents involving firearms came to light. But, we're at the end of the season, the Clippers are desperately trying to earn a good seed for the playoffs, and there really aren't many back-to-back sets left. But, we're at the finish line of the regular season, and all three play on teams that are fighting for postseason position.

There's been plenty of discussion surrounding Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant and his presence on the team, and rightfully so. The Suns are 3-0 since his ...

The week covers the three games since Kevin Durant joined the lineup, in which the Suns were 3-0. Booker averaged 36.0 points (56.0% FG and 50.0% 3P), 7.7 ...

Seven Player of the Week honors ties Steve Nash for the most in franchise history (mind you, Booker is just 26 years old). During the last of the three games, Booker notched his 7th career regular season game with at least 35 points and 10 assists. For the week of Feb.