Well, this ought to be a good one. The two former Net superstars, Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, meet for the first time since they forced their way out of Brooklyn as the Dallas Mavericks host the Phoenix Suns on Sunday.
Suns vs. Mavericks injuries: 5 Questionable, 1 Out
THE SUNS
Phoenix is 35-29 on the season, while Dallas is 33-31. Dallas has taken two out of three from Phoenix this season, including a 99-95 victory in Phoenix on January 26.
Sunday afternoon’s game between the Phoenix Suns and the Dallas Mavericks will be the last of their four-game road trip. And the Mavericks are looking for their first consecutive wins since before the All-Star break.
Kevin Durant has won both of the two games he has played with the Suns since he was traded there before the trade deadline. On March 1, the Suns beat the Hornets in Charlotte by a score of 106-91. On Friday, they went to Chicago and beat the Bulls by a score of 125-104.
Durant was just a supporting player in that win over Chicago. He scored 20 points, grabbed 9 rebounds, and passed the ball 6 times.
Injury Reports :
- Deandre Ayton (Knee) – Questionable
- Terrence Ross (Toe) – Questionable
- Landry Shamet (Foot) – Out
THE MAVERICKS
The Dallas Mavericks have been having some trouble since Kyrie Irving was traded there before the all-star break. This is especially true when Irving and Luka Doncic play together. But sometimes it takes time to do these things.
On Thursday, when they beat the Philadelphia 76ers 133-126, it seemed like they figured out some things because both Doncic and Irving had big games.
The Mavericks got a much-needed win because both Doncic and Kyrie Irving scored at least 40 points.
It was the first time that two Mavericks scored at least 40 points in the same game. Luka Doncic had 42 points and Kyrie Irving had 40.
In 42 minutes, Irving scored 40 points (15-22 FG, 6-8 3Pt, 4-6 FT), had four boards, six assists, and three steals.
Irving had his best game as a Maverick. It was the first time since late January that he scored 40 points. Since moving to Dallas, the Mavs have lost more games than they have won. This is a trend that needs to change if the Mavs want to make some noise in the playoffs.
Luka Doncic, on the other hand, was great in the win. He had a game-high 42 points and 12 assists.
Phoenix will give Dallas a hard time on offense because the Suns are in the middle of one of their best defensive stretches of the season.
Injury Reports :
- Maxi Kleber (Hamstring) – Questionable
- AJ Lawson (Knee) – Questionable
- Davis Bertans (Calf) – Questionable
