Sports Writing (United States), March 5. The Phoenix Suns of Kevin Durant, recently incorporated, imposed this Sunday in Dallas 126-130 on the Mavericks in a very disputed match until the last moment and in which sparks flew at the end between Luka Doncic and Devin Booker.
After Durant hit a field goal with just 12.4 seconds left (126-128), Doncic missed a shot close to the edge and found himself facing a Booker who had words for the Slovenian after that crucial miss.
The Mavericks and Suns trail a remarkable spade, culminating in that massive beating of Dallas in Game 7 of the 2022 Western Semi-Finals, and it was also the first duel between Durant and Kyrie Irving since that both left the Brooklyn Nets.
It was Durant’s third game with the Suns, he had 37 points and 7 rebounds and was perfectly escorted by Booker with 36 points and 10 assists.
For the Mavericks, who have gone 4-6 since Irving landed in Dallas, the stars also reacted: Doncic had 34 points and 9 rebounds (with a gray 8 of 23 shooting, 1 of 9 triples) while that Irving had 30 points and 7 assists. .
A TIGHT MEETING FROM THE BEGINNING
Deandre Ayton scored 6 points, including two kills, and the visitors took advantage of it (7-13).
With the Suns playing more tightly as a team and the Mavericks relying more on their numbers, the Phoenix team built a 9-point lead in the first period.
But the locals reacted and a drive from Reggie Bullock and three pointers off the bench from Markieff Morris and Tim Hardaway Jr. tightened the score in a first segment that ended at 25-31 and with Durant already 10 points.
Faced with an unsuccessful Doncic in the first quarter (1 shot of 7), Durant set the tone for the Suns also in the second period.
However, Hardaway Jr. emerged in Dallas with 15 second-quarter points, including a formidable 4-of-4 from 3-point range, as the Mavericks turned the tables.
Booker, scoring the last 10 points for his team and reaching their 17 points in the game, managed to stop the push of the Mavericks, who in any case went to the locker room in front with 62-59.
Hardaway Jr. dazzled in the first half with 18 points (5 of 6 from 3 points) but at Phoenix Booker (17) and Durant (16) responded.
BOOKER AND DURANT DECIDE
All of the Mavericks’ bullets were looking for Doncic or Irving as the Texans defended their third-quarter lead against a fearless Booker.
The figures of both teams took a step forward on the restart with a fantastic duel.
Doncic had 17 points in the third quarter and Irving added 13 while Durant had 12 for Phoenix and Booker added 13.
However, it was two hat-tricks from Ish Wainright and one from Torrey Craig that put the visitors back in the lead on the scoreboard and, thanks to a tackle from Booker, the Suns reached the fourth quarter in the lead (95- 96).
Hardaway Jr. hit his sixth 3-for-7 to tie the game at 98 early in the final quarter and was followed by Christian Wood, who scored 10 in two-and-a-half minutes to boost the hosts (108-102 with 8, 34 to go). .
However, the two teams continued to alternate on the scoreboard until the final minutes in a very exciting ending.
Wainright, with his fourth hat-trick of the afternoon, put the Suns ahead with 2.07 to go (122-124), Doncic and Dwight Powell managed to equalize at 126, but Durant, with a splendid basket at 12 seconds from the end, showed on the way to victory for some Suns who had only to condemn this important victory on a free kick.