The Mavericks need to put the brakes on sooner. What on December 22 (the start of the season) looked like an exciting year is turning into a nightmare. Last night, at home and against the Phoenix Suns, 105-111 to fall for the fifth consecutive game.
What happens to Dallas? It would take a long time to analyze it, but the reality, what the results mark, is that they are very far from what they want to be. The attack did not quite work, the defense has not improved much, and they could not even claim victory against the Suns who arrived without their top scorer, Devin Booker.
Luka Doncic went up to 29 points, 8 rebounds and 7 assists to propel his team to a 15-point lead midway through the third quarter. The crash seemed on track, but in the style of what we saw in the course, 2019-20, they came back. Those of Texas seem to play at times, and thus it is very difficult to close games.
“We had some bad possessions and some really poor defensive plays, and that helped them regain momentum. It was really disappointing because of how hard our guys fought. But Phoenix held on, they made plays, and they were able to do what they had to do to get back on track. We just have to do better, “says Rick Carlisle about some Mavs who went from winning by two points with five minutes to go (94-92) to losing by nine with only one remaining (96-105). Blackout, and goodbye.
Paul, decisive
While doubts accumulate in Dallas, Phoenix has a piece that provides security under any circumstance. Chris Paul doesn’t score 20 points every night (maybe he doesn’t want to) but if he has to, he has no problem assuming the responsibility of leading the attack in scoring. Against the Mavs he went up to 29 points, scoring 16 of them in the fourth quarter. In addition, he distributed 12 assists. Yes, more than half of the Suns’ points came out of his hands.
“It helps to know that you have someone like that with the ball, knowing that their intention is to make a play for the team. It may be that he is the one who makes the shot or that he finds it for someone else, but I think he sees everything at a different pace than the rest in the last minutes. I don’t know why it is, if it is something of a gene or just has it, ”says Monty Williams, head coach of the Suns.
The Arizona franchise, now 10-8, also featured a fantastic DeAndre Ayton who posted a double-double of 18 points and 17 rebounds. In two days, Mavericks and Suns meet again.
(Photograph by Ronald Martinez / Getty Images)
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