Suns Beat Mavericks in Home Opener

The Phoenix Suns snagged a clutch win in their home opener.

Oct 26, 2024; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant (35) against Dallas Mavericks guard Klay Thompson (31) in the first half of the home opener at Footprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

PHOENIX -- After blowing a 20-point lead in their Friday night loss to the Los Angeles Lakers, the Phoenix Suns needed a major bounce back in their home opener against the Dallas Mavericks.

They did just that.

The Suns improved to 2-1 on the season with a 114-102 victory over Dallas, winning their third consecutive home opener. Phoenix has now won their last 21-of-28 meetings against the Mavericks.

Without Bradley Beal (elbow) and Grayson Allen (personal), the Suns were forced to alter their rotations against a fairly healthy Dallas squad.

Rookie Ryan Dunn got his first NBA start while Royce O'Neale and Damion Lee saw an increase in minutes.

It was a much-needed win for Phoenix to emerge past .500, getting off on the right foot to start a short two-game home stint.

Quick Recap

The Suns got out to a 28-26 lead after the first quarter despite 13 early points from Luka Doncic. No other player for either team had more than six. Dallas converted on just 2-11 attempts from three-point territory.

Phoenix grew their lead to up to 13 points in the second quarter with Jusuf Nurkic scoring 12 points in the period. Durant wasn't far behind with nine in the second.

The Suns shot 43% from deep in the first half while hitting nearly 48% of shots from the field to take a lead.

The third quarter proved to be the same story for Phoenix (three Suns in Dunn, Durant and Booker scored 5+ points), and so too did the fourth quarter as the Suns established a 104-90 lead with just under seven minutes to play.

Despite a handful of three's from Thompson and Doncic late to keep things interesting, the Suns were able to see their lead maintained through the final buzzer.

Notable Performances

- Kevin Durant: 31 points, nine rebounds
- Jusuf Nurkic: 18 points, 14 rebounds
- Ryan Dunn: 13 points
- Devin Booker: 21 points, five assists

- Kyrie Irving: 22 points, five assists
- Luka Doncic: 40 points, 10 rebounds
- Klay Thompson: 19 points

What's Next?

The Suns are back home on Monday to face the Los Angeles Lakers.

More Phoenix Suns News

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How Suns Can Rebound vs Mavericks
Preview: Suns Host Mavericks in Home Opener
What We Learned: Jusuf Nurkic Struggles
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