The Mavericks also couldn’t end Phoenix’s streak. Monty Williams’ team added their 10th consecutive victory over the Texans, 105-98, continuing their excellent form and confirming themselves as one of the teams to fear in this stretch of competition. In fact, only the Warriors improve the balance of the Suns (11-3), who still do not know what it is to lose in the month of November.
Dallas could not count on Luka Doncic, absent due to his left ankle injury, but Kidd’s men did not fall apart despite the absence of the Slovenian and stood up until the end. In fact, their defensive work put the locals in complications for many minutes and allowed them to reach the final minutes with an advantage, in which, yes, the Suns’ talent was decisive. With 37 points in the fourth quarter, Phoenix not only regained command of the crash, but was able to distance himself enough to breathe some relief in the closing bars.
Devin Booker, with 24 goals, was once again the benchmark scorer of his team, and although his last quarter was discreet, he achieved two fundamental baskets. The first, a layup that made it 87-86 and gave the Suns their first lead in the fourth quarter; the second and most important, a distant triple in the last minute that meant 103-96 and sentenced the crash.
“That was not the play we had prepared, but we managed to make it work” confessed the guard. “This is how these games are won, solving situations on the fly.”
DeAndre Ayton, with a double-double of 19 points and 13 rebounds, seconded the guard, while Jae Crowder was the team’s third scorer with 14 points. Chris Paul, meanwhile, remained at 7 after a poor 2/12 in field goals, although he was a perfect manager and generator of the game with 14 assists. In this way, the Suns managed to reach a streak of 10 consecutive wins for the first time since 2010.
In Dallas, Tim Hardaway Jr. and Kristaps Porzingis shot the team with 22 and 21 points respectively, although both ended the match with improved accuracy data (both were below 40%). Something more precise was Jalen Brunson, who took Doncic’s place in the starting five and signed a complete performance of 18 points, 9 assists and 9 rebounds.
«The boys had a great game. We have been close to beating the reigning champions of the West, who also had nine victories in a row “, said Kidd, recognizing the merit of his team. “Everyone has fulfilled the plan to perfection, but in the final section we lacked the aim that they did have.”
(Cover photo: Christian Petersen / Getty Images)
