The Phoenix Suns battled the Dallas Mavericks in downtown Phoenix on Friday night, ultimately losing by a final score of 98-89.

It wasn’t much of a battle in the first half as the Suns had a hard time converting their shots. Phoenix shot just 33.3% from the floor in the first half and trailed 55-39 at halftime after scoring a miserable 14 points in the second quarter.

Three players were ejected in the second half when Jusuf Nurkic hit Naji Marshall in the head and was then shoved by PJ Washington. The ejections opened the floor for Kevin Durant, who scored a game-high 35 on 11 of 19 shots from the field. That’s 57.9%. The rest of the team? 21 of 64 (32.8%) for 54 points.

Bradley Beal had a tough night, shooting 5 of 18 from the field and finishing with 11 total points.

The Suns held the Mavericks to 98 points, their third-best defensive performance this season. But their stagnant offense was their downfall as they scored 89 points, their second-worst result of the year.

The loss drops the Suns back to .500 as they are now 15-15 on the season.

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Game flow

First half

It only took 3 minutes and 15 seconds for coach Budenholzer to hit the brakes on his first timeout. The Mavericks, a team that ranked sixth in the NBA in three-point shooting, fired rockets and scored with ruthless efficiency. They started 4 of 5 from beyond the arc, forcing Budenholzer to regroup as Phoenix quickly fell into a 14-4 hole.

To their credit, the Suns fought back. Fueled by an increase in defensive intensity and opportunistic turnovers, they managed an 8-0 run that at least temporarily changed the momentum.

But Kyrie Irving had other plans. With Luka Doncic sidelined, the Mavericks leaned heavily on their eight-time All-Star, and Kyrie wasted no time reminding everyone of his brilliance. He scored 12 of Dallas’ first 20 points.

Ball security was a key theme in this match and to their credit the Suns delivered. They committed just two turnovers in the first quarter while forcing the Mavericks into four turnovers. This lead meant eight points less for Phoenix on turnovers. This was necessary given Dallas’ hot shooting. The Mavs shot 50% from the field and an impressive 46.2% from distance in the first frame.

Josh Okogie brought much-needed energy off the bench, scoring at both ends of the court. He knocked down two three-pointers and played disruptive defense that forced Dallas into mistakes.

Although the Suns were up to 10 points behind at the start, they fought back and only finished the first quarter with a score of 28:25.

Royce O’Neale struggled to find his rhythm early, starting 0 of 3 from beyond the arc. The chances were there — Dallas’ defensive rotations gave him clear vision — but the shots just wouldn’t stop. Royce and the Suns struggled to score in the second period as they missed their first six shot attempts from the field.

The Suns scored their first point of the quarter with 7:52 left in the quarter, cutting their deficit to 9 points.

Royce converted his fourth attempt from deep to give Dallas the lead and make the score 38-30.

Ryan Dunn left it all on the court and embodied hustle and heart. He dove headfirst into the line of cameras, chasing loose balls, fighting for rebounds, hounding defenders and causing offensive fouls. If sand were currency, Dunn would be incredibly rich.

Meanwhile, Dallas focused inside during Oso Ighodaro’s minutes. With Daniel Gafford and Maxi Kleber as anchors, the Mavericks took advantage of Phoenix’s interior and outscored them 12-6 in the second quarter.

It was a brutal challenge offensively for the Suns. They scored just 14 points in the quarter, matching their second-worst scoring period of the season… only slightly better than the 11-point fourth-quarter disaster against Denver on Monday. In the second round, Phoenix jumped out to a 27-14 lead, stumbled into halftime trailing 55-39 and looking for answers.

The halftime entertainment was a DJ battle, and when DJ Automatic played “They Not Like Us” by Kendrick Lamar, it felt like the song was directed at the Mavericks. The song rang true…they don’t like us. You win.

Second half

If you wanted a Phoenix Suns fight, you found it with 9:02 left in the third quarter.

Jusuf Nurkic, who was whistled for his second offensive foul of the quarter, was walking away when Naji Marshall said a few words to him. Nurkic turned back around and punched Marshall’s face, who delivered a punch to Nurkic. The Bosnian Beast went down as Marshall punched at him while PJ Washington pushed him.

Jusuf Nurkic, Naji Marshall and PJ Washington were all ejected from the game. The technical free throw put the Suns behind 60-45. The Suns would have to lean heavily on Mason Plumlee, while Dallas would rely on Maxi Kleiber, Dwight Powell and Quentin Grimes.

The ejections gave the Suns a clear advantage, so Maxi Kleber was assigned to guard Kevin Durant. Durant shot 3 of 7 from the field in the third, but his aggressiveness took him to the line, where he was 8 of 10. He had 15 points in the quarter.

Phoenix’s shooting woes continued as they shot 35% from the field in the third period, but they held Dallas to 21.1%. After the eliminations, Phoenix finished the quarter strong with a 19-12 run, outscored Dallas 25-17 in the third period and reduced the deficit to 72-64 heading into the final period.

The Suns’ defensive intensity continued into the fourth round, led by Mr. Call Me Non Stop himself, Josh Okogie. Both he and Monte Morris did something I don’t see often in Phoenix: They handled the entire court press. It wasn’t easy to upset Dallas at the point of attack. Kyrie Irving is so damn shady.

Effort breeds offense, as was the case with Okogie. He finished the night with 8 points and 2 steals, but the effort he showed really wasn’t measurable.

Dallas had an answer for every Suns run. When the shots aren’t falling, it’s difficult to build momentum. With every possession, the turnovers began to hurt the Suns. The Suns had one last kickoff and got within 8 at 1:34, but two slam dunks from Daniel Gafford sealed the game.

As time expired, the Mavericks pulled away and won their 20th game of the season. They were surpassed

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Next

The Suns get on a plane and head to the coast. I’ll have a few laughs.

They play the Golden State Warriors tomorrow night at the Chase Center in San Francisco. No word on whether they put flowers in their hair.