The Phoenix Suns kept their postseason hopes alive with a 125-116 victory over the injury-depleted Dallas Mavericks on Sunday night.
Devin Booker led the way with 24 points, while Kevin Durant added 21 points, nine rebounds, and eight assists. Bradley Beal contributed 19 points as the Suns (30-34) closed the gap in the Western Conference standings, moving within 1.5 games of the Mavericks (32-33) for the final play-in spot.
Grayson Allen chipped in 17 points, and Mason Plumlee provided a spark with 13 points, including five dunks that exposed Dallas’ lack of rim protection. The Suns shot an efficient 58% from the field and outscored the Mavericks 37-32 in a pivotal third quarter.
Naji Marshall had a career-high 34 points and 10 assists for Dallas, marking his second straight game setting a personal best in scoring. Klay Thompson followed with 26 points, but the Mavericks struggled to keep up with Phoenix’s offensive firepower.
The game turned late in the first quarter when Booker hit a jumper to ignite a 19-2 run that flipped a four-point deficit into a double-digit lead. Phoenix never trailed again.
Dallas, already without several key players due to injuries, saw its rotation shrink further when Kessler Edwards and Dwight Powell collided while chasing a loose ball in the third quarter. Edwards returned with a bandage over his left eye, but Powell exited with a bleeding forehead and did not return.
Brandon Williams also left the game in the second half due to hamstring tightness, leaving the Mavericks with just seven available players.
With Kyrie Irving already out for the season, Dallas has now dropped five straight games, matching its longest losing streak of the season. The loss pushed the Mavericks below .500 for the first time since mid-November.
Phoenix took advantage of Dallas’ lack of size, with Plumlee finishing back-to-back alley-oops in the second half. The Suns also dominated in ball movement, racking up 33 assists while limiting themselves to just 11 turnovers.
Durant was assessed a technical foul in the second quarter, but the Suns remained in control. Their balanced attack allowed them to withstand a late push from Dallas, which cut the deficit to seven points in the final minutes before Phoenix closed out the win.
