Phoenix built a commanding lead, then fought off Dallas' desperate fourth-quarter charge, handing the Mavericks their eighth consecutive defeat.
PHOENIX —The Phoenix Suns built a 31-point first-half lead and withstood a furious late push to defeat the Dallas Mavericks 120-111 on Tuesday night, extending Dallas’ losing streak to eight games.
Phoenix controlled the tempo from the opening minutes, flipping an early deficit into a wire-to-wire advantage behind efficient perimeter shooting and downhill pressure. Dallas, meanwhile, continued a slide that now marks its longest skid since 2016 and has not won since Jan. 22 against Golden State.
Dillon Brooks scored 23 points and Devin Booker added 19 for Phoenix, which seized command less than two minutes into the game and never relinquished it. Naji Marshall poured in 31 points for Dallas, while Cooper Flagg finished with 27 as the Mavericks attempted to claw back from a massive early hole.
The momentum shifted quickly in the first quarter. After Dallas briefly led 1-0, Booker hit a turnaround jumper with 10:01 remaining to put Phoenix ahead 2-1. The Suns never trailed again. Their offense flowed seamlessly in transition and in early-clock situations, stretching the margin to 61-30 at one point in the first half.
Phoenix forward Dillon Brooks described the early rhythm that fueled the surge.
“We were getting out in transition, making a lot of three’s and limiting Dallas to one shot.”
Brooks erupted for a career-high 17 points in the first quarter alone, repeatedly finding comfort in his mid-range game when the three-point shot wasn’t falling.
“I was getting to my spots, playing right off the catch, finding my mid-range and they were falling down.”
He added that decisiveness, not overthinking, made the difference.
“I was playing fast, I wasn’t thinking. I was just going to my spot or getting bumped and going to my spot. I fully shot away from that. The three wasn’t falling and that’s why you got teammates that have your back.”
Dallas struggled to match that pace early, missing open perimeter looks and yielding transition opportunities. Head coach Jason Kidd pointed to those missed chances and a lack of early physicality.
“We got some looks that just haven't gone down and I think sometimes they don't go down early. Kind of get discouraged and we got to be better in this league. You gotta look at taking the next one especially with a team like this.”
Kidd emphasized the Suns’ defensive approach.
“They pack the paint and I thought early on we missed some threes that we normally made. So right now were just not shooting it very well.”
Yet the Mavericks did not fold. A putback by Flagg with 6:57 left cut the deficit to 108-96. Marshall’s floater with 2:09 remaining brought Dallas within 115-109, igniting belief inside the arena.
Flagg said the rally stemmed from a renewed competitive edge.
“Just competing, just fighting, coming together. We just didn't start with great energy, I just felt like we kind of were a little lackadaisical through some parts of the start of the game, and we just came together and just fought.”
Booker answered in the closing moments, hitting a mid-range jumper with 1:50 left, then converting from the line to push the lead back to nine. After a P.J. Washington layup trimmed it again, Booker’s pull-up jumper sealed the outcome and extinguished Dallas’ comeback bid.
Suns head coach Jordan Ott acknowledged the physical flow of the game, particularly around fouls and free throws.
“We saw it the whole night. Everyone in the arena felt it. Stoppage of play, and then go play against it. They're all connected.”
Ott noted how that dynamic influenced both teams’ rhythm.
“They get downhill, they get to the free-throw line. We have to play against set defense. Makes it hard to score.”
For Dallas, the defeat continued a troubling pattern: slow starts, inconsistent perimeter shooting, and an uphill climb that even strong individual performances from Marshall and Flagg cannot consistently overcome. The team is now 19-34 on the season amid an eight-game losing streak.
Kidd, however, pointed to growth within the fight shown in the second half.
“I thought in the second half we were a lot better with the physicality and then taking care of the ball. Getting to the free throw line was a big thing for us tonight.”
The Mavericks now head to Los Angeles to face the Lakers on Thursday night searching for answers to halt their longest losing streak in a decade. Phoenix returns home to host Oklahoma City on Wednesday, carrying momentum from a game that nearly slipped away but ultimately reinforced its ability to close.