Doncic, Mavericks preserve big lead, roll past Suns 130-111
DALLAS (AP) — Luka Doncic scored 33 points, Spencer Dinwiddie added 21 and the Dallas Mavericks preserved a big lead against the Phoenix Suns this time in a 130-111 victory on Monday night.
The Mavericks remained in control after a 28-8 run covering most of the last 10 minutes of the first quarter while ending a 10-game, regular-season losing streak against the Western Conference-leading Suns.
Dallas squandered a 22-point lead in the second half of a 107-105 loss at Phoenix in the season opener between teams that met in the West semifinals last season. Dallas won that series last spring with a Game 7 rout on the Suns' home court.
Deandre Ayton scored 20 points for the Suns, who couldn't recover from a 15-point first quarter, their lowest total in any quarter this season, as they finished a Texas back-to-back after a blowout victory in San Antonio.
Phoenix lost for just the second time in nine games, while Dallas won consecutive games for the first time in three weeks.
Devin Booker, who was averaging 39 points over the previous four games, scored 11 on 4-of-13 shooting. The Suns shot 26% in the first quarter before finishing at 44% to 52% for the Mavericks.
The Suns trailed by as many as 27 and were never closer than 17 in the second half. Doncic, who had six rebounds and eight assists, sat the entire fourth quarter along with Booker.
RECRUITING VISIT
Free agent NFL receiver Odell Beckham Jr. attended the game with two stars of the defense for the Dallas Cowboys, linebacker Micah Parsons and cornerback Trevon Diggs. They sat in Dallas owner Jerry Jones' courtside seats next to the Phoenix bench.
Beckham politely declined to discuss in detail his visit with reporters when he arrived at the arena, where fans chanted "O-B-J" multiple times during the game.
He was spending Monday and Tuesday with the playoff-contending Cowboys after previous trips to the New York Giants, his first NFL team, and Super Bowl contender Buffalo.
The 30-year-old Beckham is recovering from a torn ACL, an injury he sustained in the Super Bowl in February while winning the title with the Los Angeles Rams.
TIP-INS
Suns: Cameron Payne had 14 points and a game-high 10 assists. ... Josh Okogie scored a season-high 12 points.
Mavericks: Kemba Walker dressed but still didn't make his Dallas debut in the fourth game since signing. The four-time All-Star went unsigned the first six weeks of the season. The 32-year-old has been battling knee issues in recent years. ... Christian Wood had 18 points and nine rebounds, and Josh Green scored 16 points.
UP NEXT
Suns: Host Boston on Wednesday before a four-game trip in a road-heavy December.
Mavericks: At Denver on Tuesday to finish a back-to-back and a stretch of seven games in 11 days. It's the third meeting in 19 days after the teams split consecutive games in Dallas last month.
