Mavs roared back from a massive deficit, but couldn't quite close the gap in Phoenix, marking their eighth consecutive defeat.
On the one hand, the Dallas Mavericks deserve some credit for their Tuesday night effort in Phoenix, even while suffering a 120-111 loss - their eighth straight failure.
Their "furious rally'' late was that impressive.
On the other hand, when we're talking about cutting a deficit to six points with two minutes left in a game ... all necessitated by having dug a 31-point hole?
Nothing very impressive there.
undoing as they suffered a 120-111 defeat at the hands of the Suns.
The consecutive loss streak, which ties their longest such skid dating back to November of 2016, dumps Dallas to 19-34. (The Suns moved their record to 32-22.)
In the early stages of the game, the Mavs couldn’t execute at either end of the floor as they missed their first nin
“We got off to a slow start,” Mavs coach Jason Kidd said in an admission of the obvious. “They were physical and we weren’t in that first half, and I thought the group did a better job there in the second half with the physicality. ...
"But the group fought.''
If you are a believer in "Organic Tanking'' (and we're pretty sure Dallas, desirious of a top pick in the coming NBA Draft is), you can accept this. ... while enjoying the overall work here of Naji Marshall and Cooper Flagg.
Marshall, was 12-of-17 from the field and finished with a game-high 31 points.
And the likely Rookie of the Year Flagg? Dallas has recently complained that the 19-year-old standout doesn't get calls from the refs.
But here, Flagg attempted more free throws (14) than the entire Suns’ team (nine).
“I was aggressive and getting downhill to my spots and trying to play with physicality and was rewarded with getting to the free-throw line a little bit, so I thought that was good,” said Flagg, who finished with 27 points and five rebounds. “Just competing, just fighting and coming together.
“We just came together and found ways to fight and climb back into it.''
Next stop for the Mavs? They play at the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday where Luka Doncic and LeBron James await in the final game before the All-Star Break.