Mavericks at Suns final score: Phoenix shoots the lights out in 123-108 win over Dallas
By Brad Rowland
Sometimes, good offense is all you need in the NBA, and that theory was on full display in Phoenix on Saturday night.
The Phoenix Suns put on an absolute offensive show in dismantling the Dallas Mavericks, 123-108, and it was the highest-scoring game of the night for the Suns. Phoenix knocked down 15 threes (tying a season-high) on 30 attempts, but it wasn’t only the three-ball that pushed them to the 15-point margin of victory, as they also shot 51% from the field and a near-perfect 91% from the free throw line in the game.
Five players scored 13-or-more points for the Suns, and they were led by a huge night from young guard Eric Bledsoe. The former Kentucky and LA Clippers combo guard scored 25 points, dished out 6 assists, and grabbed 4 rebounds, and his 9-for-12 FG, 3-for-4 3-PT shooting night set the tone for everyone else. In addition to Bledsoe, starting forwards Channing Frye and P.J. Tucker each scored 16 points on 6-for-14 shooting, and ultra-athletic swingman Gerald Green emerged (virtually from nowhere) to score 22 points on 6-for-10 shooting in 28 minutes off the bench.
On the Dallas side, they simply had no answer defensively, despite scoring a very respectable 108 points in their own right. In addition to the scary shooting numbers from Phoenix, the Mavs got blitzed on the glass by a 45-36 margin, and only 18 takeaways kept them within shouting distance of the red-hot Suns. Dirk Nowitzki and Monta Ellis did combine for 40 points with Brandan Wright having a very encouraging, 19-point, 6-rebound effort off the bench, but this night firmly belonged to the hometown Suns.
Many believed that Phoenix would hit a sharp decline after 7-point loss to San Antonio on Wednesday night, but with back-to-back wins in impressive fashion, the Suns are vying to remain very relevant with a 16-10 record.