Luka Dončić torched the Phoenix Suns for 41 points, 12 rebounds and 8 assists as the Dallas Mavericks pulled away in the fourth quarter for a 123-113 victory at American Airlines Center on Friday night.
The Slovenian superstar went 14-of-23 from the field and 6-of-11 from deep, his mid-range game looking effortless while outdueling Devin Booker in a Western Conference showdown with serious playoff implications.
Fourth Quarter Takeover
Dallas (28-22) trailed 94-91 entering the final period but outscored Phoenix 32-19 over the final 12 minutes — the kind of closing punch that’s become the 24-year-old’s signature.
Dončić scored 15 of his 41 in the fourth, including back-to-back triples that sent the sellout crowd into a frenzy and gave the home side a 115-108 lead with 3:42 remaining. He was simply unstoppable down the stretch, picking his spots with surgical precision.
“Luka was just phenomenal,” Mavericks coach Jason Kidd said afterward. “He made the right reads, hit tough shots, and controlled the pace when we needed it most. That’s MVP-level stuff right there.”
Kyrie Irving added 23 points on 9-of-17 shooting for Dallas, which has won four of its last five to climb within 2.5 games of the sixth-seeded Suns in the West standings.
Booker’s Brilliance Comes Up Short
Devin Booker finished with 35 points and 7 assists for Phoenix (30-19), but the All-Star guard couldn’t find enough help. Kevin Durant contributed 22 points but struggled mightily from three-point range, going a brutal 1-of-7 from beyond the arc when the Suns needed every bucket.
Phoenix led by as many as 11 in the second quarter and took a 67-59 advantage into halftime. They shot 48.3% from the field but committed 17 turnovers — careless possessions that Dallas converted into 24 points.
“We had too many sloppy moments,” Suns coach Frank Vogel said. “You can’t give a team like Dallas extra opportunities, especially when Luka is playing at that level. Those turnovers killed us.”
Depth Makes the Difference
The Mavs received a crucial lift from their bench, outscoring Phoenix’s reserves 42-28. Christian Wood provided 14 points and 8 rebounds off the pine, while Tim Hardaway Jr. buried four triples en route to 11 points.
Dallas shot a blistering 51.7% from the field and connected on 17-of-37 three-point attempts (45.9%). Their ball movement was crisp throughout — 27 assists on 45 made field goals tells the story.
Phoenix’s Jusuf Nurkić recorded a double-double with 12 points and 13 rebounds, but the visitors managed just 20 assists and allowed the Mavs to shoot 56.3% in the decisive fourth quarter.
West Race Heats Up
This victory moves Dallas within striking distance of Phoenix in the brutal Western Conference playoff picture. The Mavs entered ninth but could climb as high as seventh with a strong finish to their current five-game homestand.
For Phoenix, it’s now three losses in four games after a five-game winning streak to start February. They remain sixth but their cushion over the chasing pack continues to shrink.
The performance marked Dončić’s 15th 40-point game of the season and his third against the Suns in their season series. He’s averaging 31.8 points, 8.9 rebounds and 8.3 assists while shooting 47.1% — numbers that scream MVP consideration.
Dallas continues its homestand Monday against Memphis, while Phoenix heads to Denver Tuesday for what could be a season-defining four-game road trip. After watching Dončić operate in crunch time, the Suns know they dodged a bullet by avoiding a potential first-round matchup — for now.
