PHOENIX — If the Dallas Mavericks and Phoenix Suns are rivals, it definitely reached a peak last year in the most
phenomenal way.
And that was a good thing for the Mavs.
Last year the Suns had the best record in the entire NBA, which means all they had to do was win all of their home playoff games and they would have been NBA champs for the first time in franchise history. But something happened to the Suns on their way to the NBA throne.
The Mavs happened.
In a Game 7 of the Western Conference semifinals played in Phoenix, the Mavs completely destroyed the Suns, winning, 123-90. And it wasn’t even that close. (It was 92-50 Mavs after the third quarter).
It was a 57-27 Mavs’ lead at the half. And at the half, Mavs point guard Luka Doncic had as many points as the Suns’ entire team – 27 – helping Dallas reach the Western Conference Finals for the first time since it captured the 2011 NBA title.
All of that drama spilled over into this season, when the NBA schedule-maker positioned the Mavs to open the regular season in Phoenix. 
The Suns rallied from a 22-point third-quarter deficit to win that Oct. 19 contest, 107-105, on a Damion Lee jumper with 9.7 seconds remaining in the game.
Remembering that disappointing loss, the Mavs got their revenge on Dec. 5 when they hammered the Suns, 130-111, at American Airlines Center – breaking a 10-game regular season losing streak to Phoenix. While Doncic had 33 points, six rebounds, eight assists and two blocks in that game, Suns sharpshooter Devin Booker was held to only 11 points.
It was a season-low for Booker, other than the two points he scored on Christmas against Denver when he lasted just 4:20 while he was returning from a groin injury.
Meanwhile, in what the NBA has dubbed as rivalry week, the Mavs and Suns will go at it again on Thursday at 9 p.m. CT in a game that will be televised nationally on TNT between two teams with identical records. Let the fireworks begin.
*Mavs center Christian Wood (left thumb fracture) and forward Maxi Kleber (right hamstring tear) will both miss Thursday’s g
ame.
*Suns guards Devin Booker (left groin strain), Cameron Payne (right foot sprain) and Landry Shamet (right foot soreness) will not play Thursday, and former Mavs forward Jae Crowder is not with the team.
*This is the opener of a brief two-game road trip for the Mavs. After Thursday, the Mavs play at Utah on Saturday before returning home to open a two-game home stand Monday against Detroit.
*The Suns are on a four-game winning streak. They blew out Charlotte, 128-97, on Tuesday behind 24 points from Cameron Johnson and a bench that outscored the Hornets’ reserves, 66-32.
*Mavs point guard Luka Doncic scored 41 points, collected 15 rebounds and handed out six assists in Tuesday’s 127-126 loss to the Washington Wizards. It was the 10th time Doncic has scored at least 40 points in a game this season, and that leads the NBA.
*Suns guard Devin Booker leads his team with 27.1 ppg and 5.6 apg, but has only played 29 games this season due to injuries.
*Mavs center Dwight Powell scored a season-high 22 points on 8-of-12 shots during Tuesday’s game against the Washington Wizards. Powell is just one blocked shot away from tying Rolando Blackman for 13th place on the Mavs’ all-time list with 258.
*Suns center Deandre
Ayton is averaging 17.5 ppg and 9.9 rpg. But he missed his third consecutive game on Tuesday against Charlotte with a non-COVID-19 illness and is listed as probable for Thursday’s game.
*Mavs forward Dorian Finney-Smith is two steals away from tying Steve Nash for 14th place on the Mavs’ all-time steals list with 351, while guard Tim Hardaway Jr. is just one steal away from collecting 400 for his career.
*Mavs guard Spencer Dinwiddie scored 20 points and dispensed a game-high eight assists in the game against the Wizards.
DALLAS MAVERICKS (25-24) at PHOENIX SUNS (25-24)
When: 9 p.m., Thursday
Where: Footprint Center, Phoenix
TV: TNT
Radio: 97.1 FM The Freak; 99.1 FM Zona MX (Spanish)
Twitter: @DwainPrice
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