3 Takeaways From Mavericks' Defensive Win Over Suns

Dallas picked up their first win against Phoenix this season

Dec 27, 2024; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving (11) shoots the ball against Phoenix Suns forward Josh Okogie (2) during the third quarter at Footprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

The Dallas Mavericks picked up a crucial 98-89 victory over the Phoenix Suns on Friday night. Their journey was already hard enough when Luka Doncic and Dereck Lively II were ruled out for the game, and it only got harder once Naji Marshall and P.J. Washington were ejected early in the third quarter.

They were still able to hold a hot Phoenix offense to one of their worst performances of the season, even with Kevin Durant scoring 35 points. This was a much-needed win to re-establish some confidence after the loss on Christmas and the injury news of Luka Doncic.

Here are three takeaways from this big win on the road, Dallas' first over Phoenix out of three chances so far.

READ MORE: Mavericks Defeat Suns In Wild Defensive Contest, 98-89

1. Elite Defensive Effort

The Phoenix Suns entered the game averaging 113 points per game, and they scored just 89 points on Friday. That's their second lowest-scoring game of the season. The 38.6% they shot from the floor, which is their fourth-worst shooting performance of the season, but they couldn't get to the free throw line to make up for it. In a game where the Mavericks were without their best rim protector (Dereck Lively II) and lost P.J. Washington and Naji Marshall in the third quarter, Jason Kidd likely couldn't be more pleased with the overall defensive effort.

2. Maxi Kleber Revival? In 2024?

Many Mavericks fans and writers (including myself) were willing to write off Maxi Kleber, who seemed scared to shoot for most of the season and dealt with many injuries. This was EASILY his best game of 2024-25, scoring a season-high 15 points on 5/7 shooting and coming down with seven rebounds. He also played great defense and helped with the weakside rebounding issue that usually exists when Washington is out of the game. Maybe this is a one-off, but the Mavericks DESPERATELY needed this performance.

3. Dallas' Depth Is Real

The Mavericks' depth let them down against the Timberwolves, but that wouldn't be the case in this game. If you were told that heading in, Dallas would be without Luka Doncic and Dereck Lively, Kyrie Irving would shoot just 6/21 from the floor, and PJ Washington and Naji Marshall would be ejected, you'd probably think the Mavs lost by 20. Instead, they won by nearly double-digits thanks to strong contributions from Maxi Kleber and Spencer Dinwiddie, who were mostly afterthoughts headed into the season. Dwight Powell gave them some good minutes, Quentin Grimes hit a few big shots, and even Olivier-Maxence Prosper had a few strong minutes at the start of the fourth. This team has legitimate depth.

READ MORE: 3 Players Get Ejected After Fight During Mavericks-Suns Following Offensive Foul

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