Field Level Media
Aug 3, 2020
Devin Booker's 30 points helped the Phoenix Suns come back from a 15-point deficit and stun the playoff-bound Dallas Mavericks 117-115 on Sunday night at the VISA Athletic Center near Orlando.
The Suns (28-39) moved to within four games of the eighth playoff spot. Cameron Johnson added 19 points and 12 rebounds, and Ricky Rubio tallied 20 points and nine rebounds for Phoenix, which is 2-0 in the NBA restart.
The Mavericks still managed to clinch a playoff spot with the current eighth-seed Memphis Grizzlies' loss earlier in the day, but Dallas (40-29) lost its second straight game in Florida.
Booker, an All-Star this season, fouled out with 1:26 to play, and a driving layup from Luka Doncic with 39.9 seconds to play cut what was a nine-point Suns' lead to 117-115.
Kristaps Porzingis missed a potential go-ahead 3 with four seconds left, but the Mavericks got one more chance. They couldn't get a shot off before the final buzzer, however.
Doncic led Dallas with 40 points and 11 assists, with Porzingis adding 30 points and eight rebounds.
The Suns trailed for most of the first half but tied the game at 82 on Frank Kaminsky's tip-in with 5:09 to go in the third quarter. They took their first lead since the first quarter moments later on a pair of Kaminsky free throws.
Phoenix dominated the third quarter, using a 26-9 run to take a 96-90 lead with 1:14 to play. Cameron Payne hit back-to-back 3s and the Suns outscored Dallas 36-19 in the quarter.
The Mavericks trailed early but held a 12-point lead, their largest of the first quarter, at 35-23 after Boban Marjanovic's tip-in of a missed layup with 26.9 seconds to play.
Dallas took a 73-60 lead into halftime. Doncic had 23 points at the break and Booker had 19.
--Field Level Media