PHOENIX — If the Dallas Mavericks and Phoenix Suns are rivals, they definitely peaked last year.
amazing way.
And that was good for the Mabs.
Last year, the Suns had the best record in the entire NBA. So all they had to do was win all his home playoff games and he would become an NBA champion for the first time in franchise history. But something happened to the Suns on their way to the NBA championship.
Mabus happened.
In Game 7 of the Western Conference Semifinals in Phoenix, the Mavs completely destroyed the Suns, winning 123-90. And it wasn’t even that close. (He was 92-50 Marvs after the third quarter).
The Mavs lead 57-27 in the first half. Mavs point guard Luka Doncic scored the entire Suns team with 27 points at halftime, helping Dallas reach the Western Conference Finals for the first time since winning the 2011 NBA title.
All that drama spilled over into this season, when NBA schedule makers placed the Mavs to start the regular season in Phoenix. 
The Suns recovered from a 22-point deficit in the third quarter to win the contest on October 19, 107-105, to a Damion Lee jumper with 9.7 seconds remaining.
Remembering that disappointing loss, the Mavs got their revenge on December 5 by defeating the Suns 130-111 at the American Airlines Center. Doncic had 33 points, six rebounds, eight assists and two blocks in that game, while Suns sniper Devin Booker scored just 11 points.
It was Booker’s worst record of the season outside of returning from a groin injury against Denver to score two points in just 4:20.
Meanwhile, in what the NBA calls “Rivalry Week,” the Mavs and Suns will return Thursday at 9 p.m. CT in a nationally televised game on TNT between two teams with the same record. Fight. Let the fireworks begin.
*Mavs center Christian Wood (broken left thumb) and forward Maxi Kleber (torn right hamstring) will miss Thursday’s goal.
Rain.
*This is the opening game of the Mavs’ short two-game road trip. After Thursday, the Mavs will play in Utah on Saturday before returning home to open a two-game homestand against Detroit on Monday.
*The Suns are on a four-game winning streak. They beat Charlotte Tuesday 128-97, trailing Cameron Johnson by 24 points and beating the Hornets’ reserves 66-32.
* Mavs point guard Luka Doncic had 41 points, 15 rebounds and six assists Tuesday against the Washington Wizards.th Doncic leads the NBA in hours with at least 40 points in a game this season.
*Suns guard Devin Booker leads the team with 27.1 RBIs and 5.6 RBIs, but has played in only 29 games this season due to injuries.
* Mavs center Dwight Powell scored a season-high 22 points on 8-of-12 shooting Tuesday against the Washington Wizards. Powell is one block away from tying Roland Blackman at 13. It’s a shot.th 258 to enter the Mavs all-time list.
※Deandre of Sands Center
Ayton averages 17.5 ppg and 9.9 rpg. But he missed his third straight game against Charlotte on Tuesday with a non-COVID-19 illness.
* Mavs forward Dorian Phinney-Smith is two steals away from a tie for 14 with Steve Nash.th The Mavericks have 351 all-time steals and guard Tim Hardaway Jr. is one steal away from hitting 400.
*Mavs’ Spencer Dinwiddie scored 20 points and had a game-high eight assists against the Wizards.
Dallas Mavericks (25-24) vs. Phoenix Suns (25-24)
when: Thursday at 9:00 pm
Where: Footprint Center, Phoenix
tv set: TNT
wireless: 97.1 FM Freak; 99.1 FM Zona MX (Spanish)
Twitter: @DwainPrice
