After initially erasing a 15-point deficit, the Phoenix Suns felt flat in the 4th quarter, resulting in a 128-114 loss to the Dallas Mavericks in a classic Christmas Day rivalry showdown.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Now, for the first time since opening week, the Suns are below .500 as they have lost 9 of their last 13 games and are currently on a three-game skid.
Luka Doncic, leading the Mavericks in the absence of Kyrie Irving, finished with a season-high 50 points, once again silencing the crowd at the Footprint Center. He was also credited with 14 assists and picked up 6 rebounds.
In the 3rd quarter, while the Suns were in the middle of attempting to mount a comeback, Luka missed just one shot in 7 attempts, he scored 12 points alone in the 3rd.
While the Suns did lead by one heading into the final 12 minutes, it was a 15-4 run that the Mavericks started the 4th quarter with that ultimately sealed the deal. In the 4th, the Suns went 0-4 from beyond the arc.
Kevin Durant played a large role in limiting Phoenix’s offensive rhythm on a rough shooting night. Despite averaging more than 30 points per game this season, only 16 points from Durant, including just 4 points in the 2nd half, killed the Suns.
If it were not for Grayson Allen’s 32 points on 8-17 shooting from beyond the arc, including 19 points in the 3rd quarter, Phoenix could have very well suffered an embarrassing blowout.
On a brighter note for the Suns, stepping up with Jusuf Nurkic out, Chimezie Metu off the bench grabbed a career-high 19 rebounds and also tied a career-high with 23 points.
Metu led the Suns to actually have a rebounding advantage over Dallas; unfortunately, poor shooting cost them a win.
Next up for Phoenix is a road matchup against the Houston Rockets on Wednesday. Tipoff will be at 6 p.m.
