Kevin Durant and the Suns control Luka Doncic’s Mavericks • Basket USA

Kevin Durant” width=”1200″ height=”840″ srcset=”https://www.basketusa.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/USATSI_24599760.jpg 1200w, https://www.basketusa.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/USATSI_24599760-210×147.jpg 210w, https://www.basketusa.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/USATSI_24599760-500×350.jpg 500w, https://www.basketusa.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/USATSI_24599760-768×538.jpg 768w, https://www.basketusa.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/USATSI_24599760-640×448.jpg 640w, https://www.basketusa.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/USATSI_24599760-320×224.jpg 320w” sizes=”(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px”/>Deprived of Bradley Beal (elbow) and Grayson Allen (personal reason), the Suns won the first quarter after a balanced duel (28-26). At the start of the second, Kevin Durant accelerates and Jusuf Nurkic does damage in the racket. Fortunately for the Mavericks, Kyrie Irving and Klay Thompson connect a few baskets to stay away at the break (63-55).

But Dallas is missing too many easy things to hope to shake up the Suns. In the third quarter, Jason Kidd’s men missed a number of layups, as many points dropped along the way, against a Phoenix team that was far from great but kept in control (91-80).

In the last act, Luka Doncic increases pressure and the Mavericks come back to within a few possessions. It’s time for Kevin Durant to go second again. A 3-point basket in transition, then another plus the foul and the Suns blow again. Klay Thompson misses several open 3-point shots and Phoenix comes out of it, certainly without particularly shining but without trembling either (114-102).

WHAT TO REMEMBER

– Clumsy and isolated Texan executives. Strange match from Luka Doncic, who finished with 40 points, having taken difficult shots, but above all by never having taken control of the game. Klay Thompson scored several valuable baskets, but his 2/6 behind the arc in the last quarter hurt. Kyrie Irving finished with 9/22 shooting. The three players scored 81 points and lacked support. PJ Washington, Jaden Hardy, Naji Marshall were all clumsy, when the Dallas bench only scored nine points.

– Kevin Durant deprives Dallas of air. As soon as the Mavericks approached the Suns, the winger came out of the hat to put them back in place. Orphaned by Bradley Beal (absent) and with an uninspired Devin Booker, he often made the difference alone, with 31 points at 10/21 shooting, 4/8 at 3-pts, and 9 rebounds. The former Warriors had his highlights, all necessary for Phoenix. A boss match to ensure victory.

K. Durant 39 10/21 4/8 7/9 0 9 9 2 0 1 1 1 +11 31 30 R. Dunn 21 5/8 3/6 0/0 1 0 1 0 5 0 1 0 +4 13 10 J. Nurkic 30 7/12 0/2 4/8 3 11 14 1 2 0 5 1 +3 18 20 T. Jones 31 3/7 2/3 0/0 0 5 5 7 0 1 0 1 +6 8 18 D. Booker 37 4/12 2/8 11/12 0 1 1 5 3 1 1 0 +7 21 18 R. O’Neale 27 2/6 1/5 2/2 2 7 9 4 2 0 0 1 +18 7 17 M. Plumlee 10 1/1 0/0 1/2 0 1 1 1 3 0 0 0 +1 3 4 O. Ighodaro 7 0/1 0/0 0/0 0 1 1 1 1 0 1 0 +9 0 0 M. Morris 16 2/7 1/4 3/4 1 2 3 3 0 0 1 0 +6 8 7 D. Lee 18 1/3 0/2 0/0 0 3 3 2 1 0 1 0 -2 2 4 C. Gillespie 3 1/2 1/1 0/0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 2 36/80 14/39 28/37 7 40 47 26 17 3 11 4 114 130

Phoenix / 114		Shots			Rebounds
Players	Min	Shots	3pts	LF	O	D	T	Pd	Fte	Int	Bp	Ct	+/-	Pts	Eval

P.J. Washington 35 2/10 1/5 0/0 2 4 6 0 4 1 1 1 -3 5 4 D. Gafford 18 3/7 0/0 1/2 4 4 8 4 2 0 1 0 -1 7 13 K. Irving 39 9/22 2/5 2/2 0 2 2 5 4 3 1 0 -13 22 18 L. Doncic 39 12/25 5/13 11/12 1 9 10 4 4 0 2 1 -12 40 39 K. Thompson 33 7/16 5/12 0/0 0 3 3 1 4 1 1 0 -1 19 14 M. Glue 16 1/2 0/1 0/0 0 1 1 2 2 0 0 0 -4 2 4 O. Prosper 1 0/0 0/0 0/0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 N. Marshall 16 1/5 0/2 0/0 1 1 2 3 2 1 0 0 0 2 4 D. Powell 1 0/0 0/0 0/0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 D. Lively II 21 2/2 0/0 1/2 4 7 11 3 3 0 1 0 -16 5 17 Q. Grimes 6 0/0 0/0 0/0 0 2 2 0 2 0 0 0 -9 0 2 J. Gortman 1 0/0 0/0 0/0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 -1 J. Hardy 13 0/4 0/3 0/0 0 1 1 0 1 0 0 0 -1 0 -3 37/93 13/41 15/18 12 34 46 22 28 6 8 2 102 111

Dallas/102		Shots			Rebounds
Players	Min	Shots	3pts	LF	O	D	T	Pd	Fte	Int	Bp	Ct	+/-	Pts	Eval

How to read the stats? Min = Minutes; Shots = Successful shots / Attempted shots; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; O = offensive rebound; D=defensive rebound; T = Total rebounds; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost balls; Ct: Against; +/- = Point differential when the player is on the field; Pts = Points; Eval: player evaluation calculated from positive actions – negative actions.