On Thursday night, the Dallas Mavericks(33-32) got a combined 82 points(Doncic 42, Irving 40) from Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving, and they defeated the visiting 76ers 133-126.
On Sunday against the visiting Suns(36-29), Doncic and Irving became the first pair of Mavericks teammates to each score 30-plus points in consecutive games. Doncic had 34 points, while Irving scored 30 points.
However, Kevin Durant and Devin Booker almost did to the Mavs what Doncic and Irving did to the 76ers. Booker had 36 points, and Durant had a game-high 37, including the game-winning jumper with 14.2 seconds to go as the Suns defeated Dallas 130-126 at American Airlines Center.
“I’ve been on the other side of it,” Booker said about Durant’s shot. “I know it’s a tough cover. It’s one of those situations where no matter what you do, he’s playing with just him and the hoop out there. His skill set for his size is second none. That was another example of that tonight.”
Durant added on the final shot: “Once I had him on my hip, I felt like I was in good position to just stop on a dime.”
Mavs coach Jason Kidd showed love to Durant.
“I thought that’s what KD [Kevin Durant] does,” Kidd said. “He went away from the double team, and when he rises, he’s longer than 7 feet, and he got to his spot.”
Dallas had a chance to tie, but Doncic’s short floater rimmed out.
“I just missed that one,” Doncic said. “I thought it was in, but I just missed it. One of my friends texted me saying, ‘I would have even made that.’”
After the miss, Doncic and Booker had a little altercation, and the two went face-to-face.
However, neither Doncic nor Booker would say what words were said to cause the confrontation.
“I don’t think you can say it on camera,” Doncic said. “He was talking to me. It’s not for TV. I would get fined… It’s just a competitive game; just next time, don’t wait till there are three seconds left to talk.”
Booker, who added five rebounds and a season-high 10 assists, says he has no issues with Doncic.
“I’m not here to tattle tale,” Booker said. “I was talking to the ref. He said something to me; first, I responded. You guys [the media] always say you don’t want everyone to be ‘friendly-friendly,’ so there you go, you got some smoke. It’s just two competitors going at it. Everybody speaks on how friendly the NBA is now, and they don’t like that. I have no problem with Luka [Dončić] on or off the court, but when we’re competing, we’re competing. You guys are just trying to stir the pot. I don’t have problems with nobody.”
There is a little rivalry between the Suns and Mavs after Dallas defeated Phoenix in 7 in the Western Conference semifinals last season, and Irving can feel it.
“You see it from afar. It’s definitely different, obviously, being out here,” Irving said. “The level of play rises. Emotions rise. I think we see everyone display that on their facial expressions or communicating with the refs, going back-and-forth. At the end of the day, No one is really going to fight out there. “
With the loss, the Mavs are the seventh seed in the West. Dallas is 2-3 on their current six-game homestand, and they conclude the homestand on Tuesday night against the Jazz.
Notes:
The Suns move to 3-0 with Durant in the lineup.
-Doncic added nine rebounds and four assists, and Irving added four rebounds and seven assists.
-Tim Hardaway Jr. scored 21 points on 6-8 shooting from 3-point range. Hardaway Jr. finished the first half with 18 points, helped by his 5-6 shooting clip from 3-point range. The first half was his highest-scoring first half of the season and tied his career-best for the most 3FG in the first half.
-Christian Wood came off the bench for 17 points on 5-7 shooting to go with three rebounds. Wood has scored 10+ points in nine straight games, averaging 15.3 points per game in that span.
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